Grim Reaper Boogie
by evolutionary spider
Summary: In order to save his parents' and Dash's life Danny makes a deal with death, but are the stakes too high? Chapter 22: Sparks fly between Dash & Jack and not in a good way, meanwhile the cloaked figure is revealed. SLASH DashDanny in future chapters
1. The Bully Bop

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. (Mexican Scouts Honor)

Author's Notes: Enjoy.

Grim Reaper Boogie by Evolutionary Spider

Chapter 1: The Bully Bop

Danny heard rather than saw the people chasing after him. As he skid around another corner he was tempted to use his ghost powers to phase through, but knew he couldn't with so many people around. He turned to look back and groaned as he saw that Dash and his cronies were still hot on his heels. The blond quarterback was covered with today's casserole surprise and gave him another glare promising payback. _'I really need to master my phasing powers,' _thought Danny. As he looked forward again he yelped before he ran smack dab into what felt like a brick wall.

He fell backwards with a thud and looked up in a dazed confusion. His eyes blinked out the blurry form of a boy dressed all in black. Before he could do anything else, he saw the boy disappear in front of him. Danny didn't have a chance to think before he felt himself being roughly picked up and pushed against a row of lockers.

Danny closed his eyes and waited for the punch to his face. When it never came, he slowly opened one eye in apprehension. Both his eyes quickly widened in surprise however, when he saw that someone was wrestling with Dash on the floor. Dash gained the upper hand and managed to hit the other boy twice in the jaw. The other boy used his legs to toss Dash over him and jump back upright. Dash quickly got up and stood ready to fight again. A crowd slowly began forming around them and cheering them on.

Danny blinked in confusion when he recognized Dash's opponent to be the same boy he'd crashed into. He stood looking at both of them, wondering who would attack first. Dash yelled out just as he charged forward and punched the other boy in the gut. The crowd groaned slightly, believing that it was over. Nobody ever got up after a hit like that from Dash.

Sam and Tucker pushed through the crowd and stood by Danny's side watching the scene in front of them. Dash stood smirking over another boy who was on all fours, holding his stomach.

"Hey man, what'd we miss?" asked Tucker.

The African American boy held up his PDA as he saw the smirk on Dash's face towards his mysterious opponent. Tucker started to record the scene in front of him and aimed his PDA at the other boy. Before Danny could answer, they all heard a low chuckle come from the strange boy.

The boy picked himself up, his deep laughter growing louder as he raised himself. Everyone, including Dash, looked on in shock at the weird smirk on the other boy's face. His black and blue bangs covered his eyes, but Danny's breath caught in his throat as he saw a brief glimpse of the other boy's eyes glow green.

Suddenly the other boy lunged forward and quickly punched Dash hard enough to send him flying into the lockers. The crowd winced as Dash's body made a sickening crash against the metal. The injured boy groaned softly as his body gave way and slowly slid down. Several of the students started to run away as they heard the yelling of teachers coming closer.

"Let's get out of here," said Sam, as she and Tucker turned to run off. Both stopped in surprise when they noticed Danny push through the fleeing crowd towards Dash. They looked on in surprise as Danny bent down near the injured boy.

"Uh Dash? Dash?"

"Fenton?" said Dash groggily, not really looking at him.

"Yeah, Dash it's me. Are you okay?" asked Danny.

Dash simply fell unconscious to his words. Danny's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that he'd seen correctly and he tentatively ran a finger near the lapel of Dash's jacket, the tip touching a small trace of green goo. He'd first noticed it when Dash had punched the other boy in the gut, but he hadn't been sure at the time. Danny looked up to see some of the football players come closer, but none mentioned the disgusting slime on the boy. They pushed him out of the way and helped their friend get up.

"Buzz off Fenton," said Rick angrily. Danny recognized the boy from his home economics class.

"Hey, I was just trying to help," said Danny defensively.

"Some help. You know if it hadn't been for you, Dash wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place."

"What? But I-I didn't do anything," said Danny taken aback.

His words were ignored however, as some of the teachers began yelling at Dash's friends for not stopping the fight. The school nurse began fussing over the injured Dash and looked very worried. Danny looked on to see Mr. Lancer whispering vehemently to the strange boy, before roughly grabbing him by the arm to his office. Danny was about to walk away when he saw the new boy turn his head to look back at him. Danny caught the odd gaze and felt a shiver run through his body.

"Are you alright man?" said Tucker as he put a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Yeah Danny, you look really worried," said Sam as she looked on between Danny and the new boy being dragged away.

Danny sighed as he looked down, "There's something about that guy that just...doesn't feel right."

"Yeah he survived a fight with Dash and totaled him," said Tucker as he walked away. Danny and Sam looked at each other before walking alongside him, "But you're right, there's definitely something weird about him. His vitals indicate he wasn't even trying against Dash."

Sam raised an eyebrow as she asked, "How do you know?"

"I'm glad you asked," said Tucker with a smile.

Tucker reached into his pocket and pulled out his trusty palm pilot. He punched in a few commands and then held the screen forward for them to see it. Danny and Sam came closer to him.

"Ok so this is the video I took of the fight."

All three looked on as the fight was replayed, Tucker froze the video at the moment when the new boy punched Dash in the stomach. He pressed another button and the image looked infrared. Tucker entered in a new command and the palm pilot beeped in response. A list displayed itself in front of the image. Arrows pointed out specific parts of both boys.

"Wow, Tuck. Where'd you learn to do this?" asked Danny impressed.

"I've been tinkering around with a biographic medical program. I can record video images around me and use the program to analyze them." At the strange looks the other two gave him, Tucker simply shook his head, "Never mind, let's just say it's a good thing I did because now we can find out what's going on with the new kid."

Sam rolled her eyes before reading off the list for Dash, "High levels of adrenaline and endorphins. Muscle response at 46. Heartbeat 145 over 90? Body heat at 50 °F?" Sam looked up in confusion as she asked, "How is that even possible?"

"It gets weirder. Look at the other guy's stats," said Tucker as he pointed to the other list.

Danny's eyes roamed over to the other list.

"Adrenaline and endorphin levels at 32. Muscle response at 100. No heartbeat or body heat found in organism?" read Danny in alarm. "What does it all mean?"

Tucker scratched the back of his head as he thought for a moment, "Our brains use adrenaline and endorphins to regulate sensation and pain perception. This guy didn't have the same levels as Dash so that means that the fight didn't even make him break a sweat."

Danny looked back at the list, "What about the rest? Why did Dash's body go out of control, while this guy's just...?"

"Dead?" offered Tucker.

Danny nodded in response and Tucker put his PDA back into his pocket.

"I don't know. Something about this kid made Dash's survival instincts kick in, but at the same time he lowered Dash's body temperature."

"No heartbeat or body heat?" Sam said aloud. Both boys turned their attention to her. "Maybe he's a ghost or a zombie, with the way his vitals are, it'd make sense."

"True, but aren't zombies practically brain dead. This guy was still thinking in the ole noggin," said Tucker as he tapped his own head for emphasis.

"Yeah and my ghost sense would have gone off if he was a ghost," added Danny.

Danny turned and looked back remembering everything that had happened.

"When I ran away from Dash and his goons I crashed into the new guy, but he disappeared right in front of me. Then just as Dash was about to bash my face in, this guy steps in and fights with him out of nowhere and at one point I thought I saw his eyes glow green. He even left a small green stain on Dash's jacket, but only I could see it."

He looked back at the scene seeing the deep dent in the lockers, "He's not a zombie or a ghost. He's something much stronger…"

End of Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Read and review! Thanks!


	2. The Clock Conga

Disclaimer: If I told you that I don't own Danny Fenton, cause live in a van down by the river would that suffice?

Author's Notes: Enjoy!

Chapter 2: The Clock Conga

Dash Baxter, star player of the Casper Ravens football team and one of the toughest guys in school, had been ordered to stay in bed for an entire week after his brawl with the new boy. The gossip spread through the school like wild fire, becoming a mix of fact and speculation. On all sides the quiet sophomore had become a hot topic to everyone right down to his unusual name, Griffith Rolland.

It never ceased to amaze Danny how whenever Griffith walked into a room or down a hallway, it became so much quieter. His intimidating presence seemed to demand respect and yet in a high school like his, Danny wasn't surprised that he'd gained more. In the boys locker room Griffith was mentioned with admiration for holding his own against Dash, while Sam told him about how in bathrooms the girls swooned over his good looks.

Most people kept their distance from the mysterious Griffith and those that didn't, fell into a strange friendship with the boy. He was polite and sociable, but he never spoke more than he had to. He was unusually good in sports, but none of the coaches convinced him to join the school teams. Even the teachers gossiped amongst themselves about his impressive school work. He probably could be the school's golden boy, if he didn't seem so indifferent.

Normally Danny didn't pay so much attention to the behavior of other people like this, but it was because of Griffith that he too became a topic in the gossip rings. Nobody knew what his connection to Griffith was or why he only stood up for Danny and no one else afterward. The football players teased him by calling him Griffith's boyfriend, especially when they realized that Griffith noticeably stared at him a lot. Meanwhile he groaned when he heard Paulina and her friends point out how aside from the blue streaks and green eyes, Griffith held a remarkable resemblance to him. Even now as he turned the corner to get to his locker, he saw a group of girls whisper as they looked at him.

"Don't worry, I think those are for me," said a deep voice beside him. Danny started in surprise and saw that Griffith was walking beside him.

"The name's Griffith, Griffith Rolland," said the other boy calmly.

He took his hand out of his pocket and held it out for Danny. Danny stared at him, the hand and back before shaking it.

"Yeah I know, my name's Danny Fenton," said Danny hesitantly.

"Danny Fenton? I think I've heard about you. You're that guy that constantly gets picked on by that football meathead Baxter."

"Uh yeah that's one way to put it," said Danny tentatively.

He ran a hand through his own jet black hair. Finally seeing Griffith up close enough, he was able to find the resemblance. Sam was right about Griffith looking like a taller Goth form of him.

"I've been watching you Danny," Griffith said after a moment. "You seem like a nice enough guy and yet, this Dash moron and his friends pick on you all the time don't they? Someone even told me that you delivered his homework to him everyday this week."

"Uh yeah, I did. It's not a big deal, really. Mr. Lancer told me I either do that or spend an hour everyday in detention," replied Danny. "I'd rather deal with Dash than him any day."

Griffith merely nodded in response. As Danny finally slowed down in front of his locker, Griffith spoke again, "Well today's Friday right? It's the last day you'll ever have to deal with him. See ya later Danny."

"Uh yeah, catch ya later Griffith," Danny said distractedly.

As he watched the other boy go, he felt wrong and like he'd missed something. He shook his head and opened his locker to get the things he needed this weekend. He saw Sam and Tucker walk over toward him.

"Hey Danny are you up for a movie? They're showing Return of the City Beast right now at the theater. I heard that in the sequel the guy turns into the beast and terrorizes people in a security mall, a basketball game and _girl's prep school_," Tucker finished slyly.

"Wow Tucker, sounds like a real winner," said Sam sarcastically.

"I'll have you know, that Return of the City Beast is a box office classic," said Tucker indignantly.

"Uh guys," said Danny, trying to interject.

"No, Arista's Flight North is a classic and playing in the old theatre house on 4th Street," Sam stated matter-of-factly.

"Arista's Flight North, isn't that movie in Russian? Who wants spend 2 hours reading subtitles about some girl growing up?" countered Tucker.

"Guys," said Danny a little louder.

"Who wants to watch some idiot turn into a werewolf and scare people for 2 hours? I can watch you and Danny do the same thing with his ghost powers," Sam retorted back.

"Yeah well at least we-"

"Guys!" shouted Danny.

Both his friends turned aggravated faces toward him as they yelled, "What?"

"I can't go to the movies anyway, I have to drop off Dash's homework, remember?"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that. Sorry Danny," said Tucker sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry Danny, good luck," said Sam.

"Thanks, I'll catch up with you guys later, after I give Mr. Sunshine his homework," said Danny dejectedly.

He closed his locker with a sigh and started to walk away, but stopped to look back at them, "Ya know, for a split second you two were acting like a married couple."

His friends gave him annoyed looks as he took off toward the entrance. A smile came to his face, as he put his helmet on and got on his motorized scooter. He turned onto the street, heading for the Baxter residence.

* * *

Dash looked at his clock for the fourth time in the last 15 minutes. He lay back on the massive pillows behind him and already felt himself falling asleep because of his medication. He blinked his eyes rapidly and thought about something to do to stay awake. His eyes roamed over to the clock again and he saw that Danny was now 16 minutes late. He stared at the math book near his dresser and remembered back to when the nervous freshman first showed up at his house with his homework. 

He immediately knew the vice principal was behind it somehow, unwilling to let the quarterback's grades drop. Danny had come into his room cautiously and told him that he'd be stopping by everyday to drop off his assignments and pick up the ones he finished. As Danny kept babbling on, he knew the other boy was making an effort with pleasantries. In the end Dash didn't care about any of that and instead pumped the boy for information. He was surprised to learn that Danny hadn't told the vice principal the whole truth about the fight.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard knocking coming from the door downstairs. He waited for the tell-tale signs that his mother had answered the door and invited the boy in. The doorbell's chime resounded through out the house and Dash grew confused. He slowly got up and walked to the nearby window to open it.

He stuck his head out and shouted, "Hey Fenton, I heard ya already. Just hold on a sec."

"Dash? What are you doing up?" Danny shouted back.

"I'm running a marathon dweeb, what do you think I'm doing? I'll be down in a minute."

With that he quickly tried to make his way through his room and into the hallway. He was taken by surprise to find small tendrils of smoke making their way up the stairs. He used his sleeve to cover his mouth and quickly made his way down the steps two at a time.

He yelled out in alarm, "Mom! Mom where are you?"

He grew worried at the lack of response and quickly made his way to the living room. What he saw made him gasp in surprise. He ran over ignoring the smoke filling up around him and lifted up the fallen form of his mother.

"Mom? Mom! Wake up! What happened to you?"

He moved her face to meet his, but his mother remained unconscious and Dash could faintly hear her muttering something to herself, "Not Dash…"

His eyes watered as the smoke grew heavier in the room. He slowly lifted his mother upwards and jogged into the parlor room getting closer to the front door. A chill ran down his spine at the familiar sound of deep laughter. He slowly turned around to see the same boy he'd fought with earlier this week, but he was covered from head to toe in a black robe and held a scythe in his right hand. Dash began to tremble uncontrollably as the boy came closer.

"You know I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name is Griffith Rolland, it's a pleasure," said the other boy with a polite smile.

"Y-you...what did you do to my mom?" asked Dash, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"Nothing really, you'd be surprised how just my appearance scares the hell out of people. I'm a pretty self-explanatory guy," replied Griffith in a friendly tone.

"I'm not going to let you kill us," said Dash.

He tried to keep his firm resolve even as the smoke from the fire was becoming heavier in the room.

"Actually dude, you really don't have a choice in the matter. Your time's up and I'm here to collect," said Griffith said as he came closer. The smoke surrounding his menacing appearance began to part as he moved, "If it's any consolation, you weren't supposed to die for another 7 minutes. You see as soon as the Fenton boy left, your mother was going to accidentally cause a kitchen fire. Knowing that you're asleep upstairs, she was going to make a brave, but futile effort to save you. Unfortunately she saw me in the house and fainted, thereby causing this fire much too early."

"I really have to work on my timing," Griffith muttered to himself. He shrugged and in a louder voice said, "Now then, pick your poison Dash; both you and your mother burn to death, you let the house burn and fall on you, or you can just let me do what I do best."

Dash backed away as he saw the scythe aimed at him. He backed away closer toward the front door, but before he could take another step, Griffith moved to block his way. He was startled by the boy's speed and quickly thought about what to do. Dash charged toward Griffith startling the other boy into striking him. At the last second however, Dash took a giant leap to the side and with all his strength launched himself through a nearby glass window. Griffith's strike missed and he looked up to see the sharp glass fall on Dash as he used his body to protect his mother.

Dash rolled once before landing on his back. He could feel sharp glass shards digging into his body. His eyes could see the top of his mother's head and feel her heartbeat through his shirt. His vision began to grow blurry, but he could faintly hear the sound of yelling going on around him. Just before he fell unconscious, he saw a boy with snow white hair fighting against Griffith.

End of Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Read and Review! Thanks!

_Spider's Shout Outs_:  
_(because the world would be less crowded without them)_

Dela the Hidden-Woo hoo! You were my first reviewer for this story. Awesome observation by the way. Danny thinks Griffith's a ghost, but the truth is that he's way more powerful than that. All shall be revealed in the next chapter.


	3. The Rooftop Rumba

Disclaimer: I only own the TV that I watch Danny Phantom on, but I'm willing to trade Butch Hartman for it.

Author's Notes: Enjoy!

Chapter 3: The Rooftop Rumba

"You're pretty strong for a half ghost," grunted Griffith.

"You're pretty strong for...whatever you are," replied Danny.

Their hands were clinched together, both boys struggling to toss the other. Danny felt himself slowly being pushed backwards, the grip on his hands growing slightly painful. A red light began to glow around Griffith's hands as he fired a ghost blast at Danny. The young boy flew backwards, landing loudly on the front lawn. Danny groaned as he slowly pulled himself up. His eyes looked up in time to see Griffith about to strike the Baxters with his scythe.

Danny yelled out in anger as blue energy beams formed in his hands. In a surprising display of power, the twin beams hit Griffith dead on and sent him crashing back into the burning house. Danny turned intangible and quickly flew through. He heard a small chortle resound through the walls around him.

"Indeed Danny, you're impressive for a half breed, but that's all you are,"

Danny heard loud laughter as he looked around for the other boy.

"Alas...I grow tired of this, but rest assured you and I will finish this fight soon enough, count on it." Danny looked on in amazement as large puffs of smoke began to die down around him. _'Ok, I wasn't expecting that. Who is this guy?'_

* * *

"Oh, that boy?" said the nurse. Her sympathetic eyes looked through the room window and at Danny. "Well he's been in there for about an hour now, just looking and talking to his friend. The doctor said the other boy has a concussion and he probably won't wake up until tomorrow." 

Jasmine placed a hand to the glass and asked, "What about his parents?"

"We finally have his mother stabilized, but the doctor has ordered her to stay here for a few days under observation. We've notified the boy's father of both their conditions and unfortunately he will not be able to arrive until tomorrow afternoon. It's a good thing you're here Jazz, visiting hours will be over here in 20 minutes and your brother will need to leave."

Jasmine turned her gaze back to Danny.

* * *

"I keep asking myself why he was able to do all that stuff. For some reason he attacked you, but what that reason is I still haven't figured out yet," said Danny, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"On the bright side, at least your house didn't burn down," said Danny joking, "although I'd stay away from the kitchen for awhile."

The sound of interval beeps from the heart monitor was the only response he got from the unconscious boy. Danny cleared his throat, his tone becoming serious, "I promise I'll find Griffith and make sure he doesn't do this to anyone else. It's my fault this happened to you anyway. I have all these powers and I still didn't stop this from happening. When my ghost senses kicked in I should have just barged in, then you and your mom wouldn't be like this now...I'm sorry."

"You're the one that got them here Danny," Jasmine said from behind him.

Danny jumped in surprise and looked behind him in worry, "Jazz! Um, how long were you listening in?"

"Long enough to know that you're beating yourself up about it," said Jazz arms crossed. "Danny, if you hadn't shown up when you did, Dash and his mom could've died today."

"Yeah well I should have done more. I could've-"

"Done nothing else," said Jazz as she placed her hands on her brother's shoulders. "You risked your life for them and it's a miracle that you're even alive. It's not like you have super powers or anything, what more do you think you're capable of doing?"

Jazz ruffled his unruly bangs, a small smile came to her face as she thought back to what her brother really was capable of, thanks to his secret ghost powers.

After a minute she spoke again, "I talked to one of the nurses here and she said Dash and his mom will be fine. They just need some rest," Jazz held out his jacket to him, "and so do you so come on, let's go home before mom and dad start to worry."

Danny put on the jacket and stood up to leave the room with her. He paused and looked back at Dash once more before closing the room door behind him. Danny and Jazz walked quietly alongside each other.

"You know I really didn't expect you to act like this. You're actually being kind of mature," said Jazz.

"What do you mean?" asked Danny as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Well I just didn't expect you to act so nice to Dash, especially after all the things he's done to you. When I came into the room, you were talking to him like he was your friend. I just think it's mature that you put your feelings aside to be there for him," she said, a small smile on her face.

As Danny stepped out of the hospital's sliding doors, a small breeze ruffled his hair. He let out a sigh, only to see it turn into a smoky blue haze. His body grew tense as he looked around him for the ghost. His ears caught the faint sound of laughter and he looked up in time to see a shadowy figure land on the ledge of the roof. Danny turned to run back inside, but Jazz grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Danny, where are you going?"

"I uh forgot something in Dash's room. I'll be right back," said Danny as he pulled away. He ran back into the hospital racing down the hallway toward Dash's room. He arrived just in time to see Griffith phase through the ceiling. Without a second thought he used his ghost powers to phase through the door.

"The visiting hours are over Griffith so it's time for you to leave," said Danny while going ghost.

"Oh, it's you," the other boy said in a bored tone. "Look, our little scrap today was fun and all, but I'm busy right now."

Griffith floated closer toward Dash, but Danny stepped in front of him.

He got into a defensive stance as he spoke, "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but if you want Dash you're going to have to go through me."

Griffith's eyes suddenly glowed a bright green as a dark aura surrounded him. He let out a growl as he charged forward and brought his scythe down. Danny dodged the attack, but Griffith used the other end to knock him onto the floor. Danny quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding Griffith's next strike. The metal blade scraped against the floor as Griffith flipped it upwards and back into his hands. Danny got ready again when he saw Griffith hold the scythe poised to attack him again. Griffith smirked once, before quickly flinging the blade backwards and towards Dash.

Danny's eyes widened in fear as he leapt forward and grabbed the end of the scythe's handle. He was able to phase through Dash, but the weapon kept pulling him, until he phased through the wall. The scythe seemed to have a mind of it's own as it dragged Danny every which way, phasing through both walls and people. Danny yelled and held on for dear life as the thing phased through the elevator shaft upwards until it reached the roof.

Danny let go and fell with a thud, the scythe harmlessly falling down next to him. He sat up and held his head in a daze, "Anybody got the number of that runaway scythe?"

The scythe clanged to life again, but this time it zoomed past him and back into its owner's hands. Danny saw Griffith float in front of him, the boy's eyes glowing angrily as he prepared to attack.

"You stupid meddling ghost mutt! I'll have your head for this!"

"Sorry, but I like my head where it is," said Danny as his hands glowed.

Just as both were about to fight, a loud beeping noise caught Griffith's attention. He pulled the sleeve of his robe back to reveal a strange watch. He pressed a button on it and Danny saw a holographic screen pop up. Griffith pressed another button as his eyes scanned over the information in front of him. Just as Danny didn't think things could get any weirder, he saw Griffith's face calm down into one of resignation.

He raised an eyebrow as Griffith moved his robes back into place. His scythe shrank until it became a hand held weapon, which he tucked away into his robes. A small tornado of wind encircled him and looked like it was swallowing up both his robes and the dark aura that previously surrounded him. Griffith's feet landed softly on the ground and he was now dressed in a dark blue pinstripe suit. A small green aura began to glow around him as he walked toward Danny.

"Ok, why do you suddenly look like a mobster ghost?"

"Danny Fenton, the Grim Reaper Inter-dimensional Matrix would like to offer you a proposition," said Griffith calmly.

He pressed another button on his watch. A dark red portal opened above them and Danny yelled as he and Griffith were pulled in. After a flash of light and what felt like his body being ripped apart, Danny landed with a thump into a green chair. He looked around him wildly to find himself in a comfortable office with simple ghost decor. The black chair in front of him swiveled suddenly and revealed Griffith. The other boy looked pensive with his hands laced together over his crossed legs.

"Welcome to my office Danny," Griffith said politely.

"Where are we?"

Danny looked around him through the large office window behind Griffith, he saw a busy metropolitan ghost city.

"You're inside my office, located within one of the downtown G.R.I.M. buildings. Is there anything I can get you? Soda, juice, ectoplasm shake?"

"Uh no thanks, I'm good," said Danny quickly. "Why'd you bring me here?"

Griffith moved forward and pressed the intercom button on his desk.

"Ms. Mort, please take all my calls today and move my next client to midnight. Also begin the hologram projector."

"Yes Mr. Rolland, right away," replied a female voice. As soon as the words left her mouth, the lights in the room began to dim.

Griffith stood up and reached into his coat pocket to produce a pointer. It snapped at attention just as a large holographic screen popped up to his left. Danny held on to the chair in surprise as it moved to stand in front of the screen. An intricate insignia with the word 'G.R.I.M.' flashed onto the screen as Griffith spoke again.

"Danny, G.R.I.M. is an enterprise that seeks to protect and ensure the safety of the citizens of the ghost zone."

As Griffith continued to speak, various images of the company's work began to display themselves, "You see many years ago, the passage ways that connected both our worlds, were too primitive and useless in keeping spirits on their path. To stop this from happening our illustrious founder, the Grim Reaper, formed this organization to ensure that those who must depart your world make it to ours safely and to stop those that breach our barriers and escape into your world."

"Wow, I never knew something like this actually existed. Would've been handy to know earlier, anyway what does this have to do with me?"

"We've been watching you for sometime now Danny Fenton. You're a very unique boy and we feel that one day your talents will be beneficial to us."

Danny gasped as a familiar image displayed itself.

"Although we know about your illegal portal into our world, we were willing to overlook it because it allowed us to observe you more. You've taken care of every ghost that has gone through that portal and saved many people. Despite your noble efforts, our rules clearly state that once your parents die they must be imprisoned for their crime."

"What? Dude, that's not fair! I know they weren't supposed build it, but they meant well!" said Danny alarmed.

"Calm down. The director of this branch feels this will also be a waste and that is why he has asked me to offer you this proposition. If you accept it, the possibility of punishment will be transferred onto you."

Another holographic image popped up, but this time of what looked like an old family portrait of Dash's family. Danny saw a younger version of Dash standing next to a little girl he'd never seen before. He was shaken out of his thoughts by another image being shown, but this time of Dash only.

"I came to your hometown to do my assignment of taking Dash and his mom to this world. It was supposed to be an easy job, but after your first annoying interference my only choice left was to kill them myself. Since you've been so damned persistent, I'm willing to offer you the chance to save Dash's life."

"Really?" asked Danny in surprise. "What about his mom?"

"A committee has rescheduled her next appointment in 32 years, but the decision for Dash still stands. That is unless you complete the challenge," Griffith said with a smirk.

Danny's eyes showed his confusion, "Challenge?"

Griffith's expression became serious as he emotionlessly said, "The conditions of our contract with you will be simple, Danny. In order to save Dash's life and your possible afterlife, you must agree to complete one challenge of our choosing. If you succeed, then Dash will live and we will approve the portal in your home. If you fail, then the decision on Dash will stand and also affect you."

"Wait, are you saying that if I don't pass this challenge I'll be killed too?"

Griffith nodded and stated matter-of-factly, "And have no memory of your life before your death as well as become an agent of our organization."

"I knew there was a catch," Danny muttered with a sigh.

Griffith merely smirked and paced slowly in front of Danny.

"We in ghost world joke about how the living foolishly believes that love transcends death, when in reality love is only strong enough to slow down the hands of death. Your challenge Danny is to help Dash fall in love with someone and vice versa. In order to change his fate, the other person must confess their love to Dash in 3 month's time with a kiss. If love is really there then the kiss will restore Dash's life span, but if the love is false then the kiss will instantly kill him," Griffith laughed slightly, "and you."

"_This_ is my challenge? It sounds like something out of a cheesy fairytale book! You gotta give me something else, anything else," Danny said desperately as he stood up.

"Nope, sorry Danny, but that's how the ectoplasm slimes. Let us kill Dash and your parents spend the rest of their eternity cleaning ghost prison toilets or save the meathead and have a happily ever afterlife, the choice is yours," said Griffith, his tone arrogant and cruel.

Danny jumped in surprise when a clipboard with the contract appeared in front of him. A pen floated toward him and Danny grabbed it with an unsteady hand. A small drop of sweat made its way down his face as he stared at the floating contract.

End of Chapter 3

Author's End Notes: Muahahaha! Sorry couldn't help myself. So there you have it folks Griffith is officially not a normal kid. The truth is that because he's an executive agent of G.R.I.M. he has special powers. He's definitely not the big boss (aka the Grim Reaper), but a pretty powerful minion of the god of death. Hope you guys liked the update!

Spider's Shout Outs:

(because the world's quieter without them)

Dela the Hidden: Yay! I'm glad you still like my story. I hope this chapter cleared up some of your questions about the mysterious Griffith. To be honest I know that if I make Danny a freshman I'm just asking for plot holes, but I think I'll keep him that way. :Evolutionary Spider says unsurely: Thanks for pointing that out to me.

KimuraSato: wow, I'm particularly pleased that you're reviewing me cause you're one of the big DD supporters out there. As I said earlier in my author's end notes, Griffith's not exactly the shinigami, he just works for him. As you'll see later on he's more of a protege. Thanks for the awesome review.

moondragon-1001: Wow, you're definitely to the point. lol. Tada, I updated!. Thanks again for the review.

Danny Lover 98: ...points and laughs hysterically...you're funny. You should call yourself Slash Hater 69.

vfhdu vwhfhre g4: iihuhfwuhfewPOINTLESSuhiuh gfagduygeRANDOMlhuh RESPONSEkhgoygoew ilfYOU'REu'relhoiugfoigysgfhosihfoeVERYhfoih ORIuhg98yg9s7vp9uhGINAL

dfizzle: Thanks for the cool review and don't worry I definitely don't plan to.


	4. The Schoolboy Strut

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I still don't own Danny Phantom, and this is sad but true.

Author's Notes: Enjoy!

Chapter 4: The Schoolboy Strut

"Ahhh!" yelped Danny as he sat up.

He panted as he put a hand to his forehead. His eyes widened slightly when he felt the sweat on his brow.

"It was just a dream," Danny said to the emptiness of his room.

Two short beeps replied back. Danny's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at his left arm. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the metallic blue digital watch on his wrist. Twelve o'clock flashed repeatedly on the blue G.R.I.M insignia, while a small blue light glowed from the inside.

Danny fingered the watch for a minute, trying to find a button that would stop the flashing. His thumb brushed up against a small lever and moved it slowly. The top lid lifted up and stopped glowing as it revealed the inside. Danny saw the inside design was like the other one, but in red. A message in neat writing was on it followed by a completely different digital time being displayed.

"Your time now is...90 days, 20 hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds," Danny read aloud. "Oh no, this isn't good. All that stuff really did happen and what's worse is that I really did sign that contract and now I have...90 days, 20 hours, 25 minutes and 10 seconds to help _Dash Baxter_, of all people, find true love."

Danny groaned as he fell backwards on his bed.

* * *

Sam and Tucker sat down at their usual booth as they waited for their orders to be brought to them. Tucker quickly glanced at his watch to see that it was 10 minutes till noon. The waitress finally came and carefully placed the drinks in front of them. He took a sip through his straw, enjoying the sweet strawberry taste. Sam set aside Danny's vanilla shake and took a sip of her own protein one. The waitress smiled at them once before leaving the two alone. Tucker turned his head to look out the window watching people pass by. He turned his attention back to Sam at the sound of her nails drumming the table top.

Sam looked at his face and followed his gaze to her hand, immediately stopping the nervous habit. She let out an uncomfortable sigh and moved a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She watched him take another sip of his milkshake, before he turned his attention back to the window and thus avoiding her. Out of nowhere her fists hit the table loudly and snapped him out of his reverie.

"Ok that's it, I've had it. We've been together for 10 minutes and you've spoken less than 5 words to me? How are we going to fix this if we don't talk to each other?" Sam said aggravated.

"I'm sorry Sam, I just...feel really weird right now," said Tucker nervously. "I'm really confused and I don't know what to do, ya know?"

He looked at the tabletop as if all the answers were written there.

Her resolve began to unravel slightly, "Yeah, I know what you mean." She took a deep breath before speaking again, "Look Tuck, I don't know what happened yesterday between us. I just know that, that you're one of my best friends and I don't want us to be uncomfortable around each other."

"Are we _just_ best friends?" Tucker asked in a serious tone.

She'd never heard him sound like that before. Her eyes widened the more she looked into his, but before she could answer his question the bell at the top of the door rang loudly as Danny rushed through. He stood there for a second before quickly walking toward their booth and plopping down next to Tucker.

"Thanks...for meeting me here...you guys," Danny said nearly out of breath.

"Whoa, take a breath dude," Tucker said surprised.

"Drink some of your milkshake," said Sam while pushing the drink toward him. Sam and Tucker looked at each other in concern as their friend took a big sip of his drink.

"Is something wrong Danny?" asked Sam when he was done.

Danny lay his forehead on the tabletop as he dejectedly said, "Guys, my life is officially over."

"Oh come man, it can't be that bad," Tucker said reassuringly.

"Yeah Danny, I'm sure we can help you," said Sam. "Just tell us what happened."

Danny took a deep breath before he relayed the whole story to his friends. He mentioned the violent incident with Griffith at Dash's house. Their eyes widened as they heard him briefly describe the fight he had at the hospital. They listened intently as he described his experience in the ghost city and told them about G.R.I.M. With a heavy heart, he finished by telling them about the contract challenge and the consequences of failing.

"I don't even remember what happened afterwards, but when I woke up I found this weird watch on my wrist," said Danny as he showed it to his friends. He lifted up the top lid for them to see.

Tucker read the inscription aloud, "Your time now is...90 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes and 3 seconds. What's that mean?"

"That's how much time I have to help Dash. The worst part is I don't even know where to start. Geez, I just wish I had some sort of sign," said Danny frustrated.

"Hey Fenton!"

Danny looked up to see Kwan and some of the other football players come toward them.

"We need to talk to you."

"Me?" Danny asked nervously.

Sam and Tucker looked on in surprise as one of the football players picked up their friend and threw him over his shoulder like it was nothing. Danny protested as he was carried away, much to the amusement of the other teenagers inside the diner. Sam and Tucker were about to get up, but Kwan held up a hand to stop them.

"Don't worry, we're not here to hurt the geek," said Kwan smoothly. He started to walk away but Sam's question stopped him.

"What do you want with Danny?"

"We have a message to deliver," Kwan said, as he continued walking out with the rest of his friends.

* * *

"Hey! Stop! Let me go!" Danny said protesting.

His panic grew as he was carried to the alley next to the diner. Danny yelled as he was unceremoniously dropped onto the floor. He sat up and held his head in pain. He heard them laughing and gave them a defiant look.

"Hope you don't bruise easily," Kwan said mocking him. The other boys laughed slightly. Kwan bent down in front of him, getting in his face. The two glared at each other until a smirk suddenly appeared on Kwan's face.

"Hmph, I still don't get why Dash thinks it's fun to pick on you. If you ask me, you're way too boring," Kwan said jokingly.

"Sorry to disappoint," Danny replied sarcastically as he got up. "Now what do you want?"

"Getting testy aren't we Fenton?" Kwan replied smiling. "Anyway, let's cut to the chase. Dash told us about that fire at his house yesterday. Imagine our surprise when we found out it was dorky Fenton that...saved him and his mom."

Danny's body relaxed slightly, his blue eyes looking up at Kwan in curiosity.

"You know, you're all right Fenton. Some of us just wanted to tell you..." Kwan said, his voice struggling to say the words.

"Thank you," said a deep voice.

Danny turned his attention to the bulky football player that had picked him earlier. The other boy smiled at him and Danny slowly returned the gesture.

The other boys piped in, "Yeah, thanks Fenton."

"That was cool, man."

"You're an ok dude."

Kwan spoke up again, "Yeah, thanks."

Kwan held out his fist. Danny made his own hand into a fist and awkwardly pounded his against Kwan's.

"Well alright, maybe you're not such a loser after all, maybe."

"Uh thanks, I think," said Danny. He didn't believe any of this was actually happening.

"Listen Fenton, me and the guys agreed that if one day you needed a favor like a date for the dance, answers to a test, teacher's car destroyed whatever, we'll help you out."

The other boys nodded their heads in agreement.

"Thanks?" said Danny.

He stood uncomfortably as he watched them walk away. They all nodded their goodbyes at him as they moved out of the alleyway. Danny saw Tucker and Sam maneuver their way through to him.

"Danny, are you ok?" Sam asked quickly.

"Yeah, did they do anything to you?" Tucker asked, his eyes looking at Danny's body for any visible signs of injury.

"I'm fine," Danny said distractedly, his eyes on the retreating forms of the football players.

Suddenly a smile appeared on his face and he ran past his two friends and caught up with the boys again. Sam and Tucker looked on in confusion as they saw Danny catch their attention and talk quickly. Kwan seemed surprised at what Danny said, a look of amusement in his eyes. Danny finished what he was saying with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Kwan turned back and said something to the rest of the boys, all of them laughing but nodding their heads in agreement.

Danny's smirk became a big smile as he walked back toward his two friends, "Guys, I just did one of the smartest things in my life."

* * *

"Ahhh! Oof!"

Danny groaned as he was tackled down for the 6th time today. _'This is the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life.'_ Danny thought tiredly. Some of the football players began to snicker as they saw their coach drop his hat for the 6th time today in anger. He stalked onto the field and quickly grabbed Danny by the helmet, pulling him aside.

"Fenton, just what the hell are you doing out there?" the coach yelled into Danny's helmet. Danny winced in a mix of anger and terror. "I know you can do damn better than this boy, now catch the ball and run the play correctly."

"I'll try coach," Danny said, his voice cracking slightly.

"No, don't try boy, do it. Listen, I understand that it's your first week, but I agreed to put your sorry butt on my team because my players said you could handle it. From what I'm seeing, the only thing you might be able to handle is the water boy! Now unless you want that job, I suggest you get your butt in gear and run the damn play!"

He looked as Danny's eyes shifted to the side and the coach turned his attention back to the other players who were snickering.

"Is there something funny ladies? Cause if there is then let me in on the joke," the coach said glaring at all of them.

When no one said anything, he gave Danny one last glance as he walked off angrily. Danny saw Kwan jog up next to him.

"Hey dude, what gives? You said you wanted us to get you on this team. We did our part, but now it's time you did yours. If you want to stay on this team, you better shape up quick," warned Kwan. "Now come on, show the coach what you're made of."

The other boy moved back into position next to Dash. Danny looked over to see the blond giving him a strange look before he too moved back into position.

_What I'm made of? That's it!'_

Danny got back into position and waited. The coach blew the whistle loudly.

"33, 42, 18, hike!" Dash called out just before the ball was snapped to him.

He looked over to see Danny moving and threw the ball at him. Danny caught the ball easily and turned to run. His full form uniform shielded the transformation as he went ghost. He looked to his left at the two defense players that were about to tackle him, but he merely pushed through them. The rest of the opposing players chased after him, but he easily outran them using his speed. When he finally reached the end zone he threw down the ball in triumph and did a victory dance.

Some of the players cheered with him, while the coach could be seen with a small satisfied smile on his face. Danny changed back as he grabbed the ball and brought it back with him. He tossed it to Dash, feeling somewhat pleased about the surprised look on the other boy's face. Kwan and several of the players patted him on the back in congratulations. They all lined up to get ready again.

"Alright men, now let's play some real football!" the coach yelled as he loudly blew his whistle again.

Griffith sat comfortably from his vantage point in the bleachers. He looked down at the scene before him with contempt. _'So he thinks he can win by finding common ground with the meathead? It shouldn't be too hard to crush his pathetic attempts. Then again, maybe someone else can do it for me,'_ he thought with his trademark smirk.

End of Chapter 4

Author's End Notes: Danny's using his powers to play football...? Oh don't worry he won't always have to. Please review! Thanks!

_Spider's Shout Outs:  
(because sometimes Hallmark's "Thank You" cards just don't cut it)_

katy kreger: lol, you're too cool dude. You're e-mails sure were an interesting twist. Thanks again for all the direct reviews. :-)

Dela the Hidden: Yay. You're not sick of this story yet. lol. I hope you like my twist of kooky fairytales. As far as that mystery girl goes, all will be revealed with time. Hope you dug the latest update. Thanks!

KimuraSato: Coolio! Glad you liked the update. Yup it was pretty obvious Danny was going to accept the deal, but the funny thing is that G.R.I.M. isn't pulling all the strings with Danny. Thanks for the review!


	5. The History Hustle

Disclaimer: I asked Santa in advance if I could own Danny Phantom, all he sent back was a letter with the word 'LOL' on it...now I'm trying for a laptop.

Author's Notes: Enjoy!

Chapter 5: The History Hustle

Danny quickly tossed his books into his backpack. He rummaged through his locker until he pulled out a blue notebook in triumph. He stuffed it in with the rest of his things before slamming his locker shut. As he walked down the hallway he met up with his friends. He smiled at them and listened as the two talked about their plans for the weekend.

A secretive smile pulled at the corners of his mouth the more he looked at his best friends. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he swore that this whole week they seemed different around each other. As the three walked together, Danny kept seeing their shoulders brush up against each other, yet neither one moved away. Sam seemed to smile a little more whenever she saw Tucker and Danny noticed his other best friend behaving differently around the Goth girl.

"What about you Danny? Got any special plans this weekend?" asked Tucker.

Danny replied back nonchalant, "Not really. After tonight's game, I'm just going to finish up my history paper."

Sam and Tucker looked at each other, their gazes shifting from surprise to mischievous. They both gasped dramatically as they stood in front of their friend.

"Who are you and what have you done with Danny?" Tucker said dramatically.

"Yeah, the real Danny would never even start a paper until the week it was due," said Sam.

Tucker moved toward Danny and ran his PDA up and down all the while making computer noises.

"Sam, my sensors indicate that he's increased his biomass, becoming more task-oriented, and actually socializing with the higher species of our school."

"Oh no! Our Danny's gone!" said Sam as she pretended to cry on Tucker's shoulder.

Danny laughed aloud, "Knock it off you guys, I'm still the same old Danny."

A group of football players caught his attention as he passed by and he greeted them in return. Danny turned back to his friends, their faces showing their skepticism. The two walked away leaving Danny to catch up.

"Ok ok, so maybe I've changed a little, but at least I'm not being a shallow popularity freak like last time."

When he thought about it, his life really had taken a strange turn around ever since he joined the football team. His mother had been opposed to the idea at first, but he pointed out that now that his grades were more important he was actually studying more. Danny left out the fact that he could also study more because there weren't that many ghost incidents this month.

Sam and Tucker pointed out the small change in his personality saying that he seemed happier and more confident. Even he had noticed how his school status took a metamorphosis and suddenly more people began to notice and even talk to him. Tucker had joked once that some of Griffith's charm had rubbed off on him.

The bizarre senior still stood out as ever, his gaze becoming an ominous smirk around Danny. A few weeks ago they had talked and Griffith had explained that in order to make their challenge fair, only Danny would remember who really caused the fire. Whenever Danny overhead Dash talk about it, the other boy always explained that his mom fainted while a grease fire spread throughout his kitchen. Danny figured it was better if Dash didn't know the whole truth because he was still unsure if the other boy had seen him transform.

"Yeah that's true," Tucker agreed, "but you're definitely not the same guy anymore. Not that that's a bad thing and on the bright side even football players like Dash have stopped picking on you."

Danny's happy demeanor fell slightly at the mention of the blond's name.

Sam elbowed Tucker's side and muttered, "Nice going, Tucker."

Tucker winced at his words and quickly tried to apologize, "Sorry man, I didn't mean to bring up D-"

Danny quickly dispelled the unnecessary apology, "It's ok Tuck, just forget about it."

As he passed by the humanities building, he remembered his history teacher asking that he stop by after school. "Look guys I gotta go. Ms. Jackson wanted to talk to me after school about my last paper."

"Ok, well we'll catch up with you later Danny," said Sam with an understanding smile.

Tucker looked like he wanted to say something else, but the words left him as he watched his friend walk away.

Sam turned back to Tucker, "Tucker, why'd you say that? You know that right now Dash is a touchy subject for him."

"I know, I know and I'm sorry. It just sort of slipped out and now he's all mopey," said Tucker with dismay.

Sam's fierce gaze softened slightly, "Don't worry Tucker, Danny will get over it. He just needs some space right now. Meanwhile, you and I have to think of a way to help him. We can't just sit around and let Danny fail like that, there has to be something we can do."

"Yeah, but we've tried everything. Face it Sam, we're gonna need a miracle to bring those to together."

* * *

Just thinking about a certain blond made him sigh in frustration. Despite all of Danny's good fortune, he still hadn't made much progress in becoming friends with Dash. At football practice they got along relatively well and Danny had slowly gained some of the other boy's respect. Outside of it however, the two hardly ever talked and nothing brought them closer.

On the plus side Danny took it as a good sign that Dash had stopped picking on him. The only problem was with 70 days, 5 hours, 5 minutes and 13 seconds left, Danny was beginning to wonder if he would ever have the chance to become friends with Dash. If only something could make the blond trust him enough so that Danny could help him fall in love with somebody and complete the challenge.

Danny sighed as he walked up the set of nearby stairs. His mind shifted to the present and conjured up dozens of scenarios about what Ms. Jackson was going to say to him, none of them ending particularly pleasant. He shifted the strap on his backpack nervously as he headed toward room 67. He slowly knocked on the door and a few seconds later he stared straight into the jovial eyes of his history teacher. The black woman's smile widened at the sight of him.

"Ah, there you are Danny. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come," said Ms. Jackson as she held the door open for him.

Ms. Jackson quickly sat down at her desk while Danny pulled up a chair to sit in front of her.

"I'm really glad you're here Danny, out of all my students I think you're the one who has improved the most in my class," she said as she searched through a stack of papers.

"I am?" Danny asked surprised.

"Take a look for yourself," said Ms. Jackson as she handed him his last two papers.

Danny smiled slowly as he saw the B plus and A minus grades.

"It's very impressive Danny. You went from D and C papers to this. I hope you realize I expect you to continue this quality work," she said, a stern look on her face.

Danny smiled back at her nervously, but nodded his head.

"While I did want to tell you this good news, the real reason I asked you to come by is because I was wondering if you would be interested in tutoring a fellow student?" she asked.

"Tutoring?" Danny asked curiously.

"Yes, unfortunately I don't have many students that are willing and able to tutor the few that are falling behind in my class. I don't need 'A' students necessarily, but students that have either improved greatly or have a good standing in my class. The tutoring itself is like a study buddy system that I hope will help those students improve and as a bonus, those students that do tutor receive extra credit for my class. If you're interested, I'd like you to meet who you might be paired up with. He's talking to Coach Higgins right now, so I'm sure he won't be here for another 5 minutes."

"Coach Higgins? Is it someone on the football team?" asked Danny.

Immediately the name Kwan came to mind and he remembered overhearing the Asian boy talk about how he was going to be kicked off the team unless he brought up his grade in history. Danny already imagined Kwan giving him a smug look as he strutted into the room.

"Yes he is actually. Well this will be convenient since you get to help out one of your fellow teammates," said Ms. Jackson as she straightened out her desk.

The sound of a loud knock echoed into the room and both turned their attention to the door.

Ms. Jackson smiled as she got up, "Good he's here."

Danny smiled slightly, at the turn his luck had taken. Getting closer to Kwan would definitely help him find out more about Dash. Kwan was practically Dash's best friend so he had to have an idea of what kind of girls Dash liked. _'Perfect, I can do this,'_ Danny thought confidently.

"Sorry Ms. Jackson, I had to tell coach that I was cleared to play tonight's game," said a familiar voice.

"Well now that you're here I'd like you to meet your tutor, Danny Fenton," said Ms. Jackson as she looked at the young boy.

Danny looked up in surprise.

"Danny, I'd like you to meet your pupil, Dash Baxter."

End of Chapter 5

Author's End Notes: Wow what a buzz kill for Danny. He thought he was getting the best friend, but he got the big fish instead. Now that Jazz is done tutoring Dash, it's Danny's turn to pick up the slack...and then some. Please review! Thanks!

_Spider's Shout Outs:  
(because the PA system at your school won't say them)_

**Kate**: Hey girl, well I've been keeping an eye out for what you're looking for to no avail. I think I have a lead on your yu-gi-oh eps but I'm not sure. I'll e-mail you later if anything comes of it. I think I just might give your fic idea a try after I finish this and another DP fic I'm working on. Thanks for the reviews.

**Phantom Child**: Hey! I'm glad you dug my fic and I liked how you were very straight forward in your review. Hopefully, this chapter will be an improvement from my usual spelling slip-ups. (pssst, if you catch some in here tell me) Griffith's not annoying right now, but his actions later on might be. By the way this is a funny coincidence, but your name is the title of another DP fic I'm working on, lol. Hope that doesn't bother you. Thanks again for the cool review!

**KimuraSato**: Hello again! Yeah I guess Danny joining the football team would be pretty random, but there is a method to the madness. Now I wonder what you think about this tutoring madness. :-D lol. Anyway, I hope you liked the update and thanks for the review! (pssst...I like where you're taking your fics)

**Kayume Silver**: Hoozah! A new reader has come forth, very cool. Let me start off by saying that I found your review to be very kind towards my fic and a unique one at that. I'm so glad you like it. You're one of the few people that tell me my story has some originality to it and you even gave me high marks, something I rarely get as it is, lol. Thanks so much, it was unexpected and brightened my day.

**Akiko**: Cool another new reviewer and a "short, sweet and said it complete" reviewer at that. Wow...my fic is...fun? (O.o) Really? I never thought of it that way and that's why I learned another thing today. Thanks for the review! Hope you liked the update.

**lauren**: Hey there! I'm happy that you like my fic so much and that you're getting into other DP fics out there. I wanna see who Dash falls in love with too. lol jk. As far as that goes, right now it might not be who you think. :wink wink: Thanks for the review and the luck too. Keep reading the fics out there; I'm sure you'll find even cooler ones.

**Dorks Will Rule The World**: First off thanks a bunch for the constructive criticism. You could have been mean about it, but instead you showed me a good suggestion. I looked over my story and realized it could have been written a lot better in some areas. Hopefully by the time you get to the next one, there will be a slight improvement. Thanks again!


	6. The Library Lambada

Disclaimer: When I am overlord of this puny planet I shall reign supreme...but I still won't own Danny Phantom.

Author's Notes: Only the second flashback in this chapter is in Dash's point of view. Enjoy!

_llllllllll_ blah _llllllllll _dream or memory

Chapter 6: The Library Lambada

Danny let out a big sigh, "Ok, this is easy, I can do this. Nothing is going to stand in my way."

"Talking to yourself again, Fenton?" said a voice behind him. Danny jumped slightly and turned around to find Dash looking at him with a smirk.

"Dash! Uh, how are you?" Danny asked nervously.

"Pretty good Fenton considering that I have a week to do this stupid paper and a loser as my tutor," Dash said laughing.

He walked up the steps to the library leaving Danny to frown in annoyance at him. _'Nice to see he's as charming as ever,'_ he thought as he followed after Dash.

Danny looked around him and caught sight of Dash heading toward the back of the library tables near the history section. He walked faster to catch up with Dash and quietly set down his things next to the other boy's. Both sat down across from each other in the empty table. Danny avoided looking at Dash as he slowly took out his notebook. He took a deep breath to get his bearings together and saw the other boy already reading from their history book.

Dash's shoulders tensed as he felt the stare beginning to annoy him. When he couldn't take it anymore he looked up.

"What?" he asked defensively.

Danny stopped and turned his attention back to his notebook, "Sorry, I just didn't expect you to be serious about this."

He missed the brief insulted look in Dash's eyes before it was replaced with one of boredom.

"Whatever, let's get this over with. I gotta be home by 8:00."

"Ok, I think the first thing I should help you with is organizing your paper," said Danny.

He opened up his notebook to a blank page and jotted down something.

"What's the topic you picked?" he asked.

Dash reached into his jacket pocket and produced a folded up piece of paper. He tossed it over to Danny to open up.

Danny unfolded it and read the instructions aloud, "Write a 1½-3 typed page essay explaining how the founding fathers created the constitution. Explain what you feel they had in mind when creating his document and whether or not you feel it is effectual today as back then. Use at least 2 outside resources and include a bibliography."

"So how do I start this thing?" Dash asked.

"I guess the first thing we should do is get some books that talk about this," said Danny as he stood up.

The other followed him into the book aisles and the two set off silently in their search. After 10 minutes, Danny looked at Dash to see he had two books in his arms. He turned back at the selections and spotted a green hardback book entitled, Constitutional Purpose.

Danny grabbed the nearby mini foot ladder and set it up in front of him. He stepped on and realized in annoyance he still couldn't grab it. Balancing the two books to his other arm; he stood on his tip toes and made another grab for the book. Just as his fingers touched it, the foot ladder wobbled and Danny yelled as he lost his balance. His eyes closed as he fell backwards and braced himself to crash on the floor.

He crashed into something else and opened his eyes to realize his fall had been cushioned by someone. Namely, one surprised and angry Dash Baxter. Both boys struggled to separate themselves from the tangle of limbs they'd become on the floor. Danny was almost off of Dash, but slipped once again. He looked down to see Dash's foot was stepping on his pants leg.

Dash shifted underneath him to push him away, "Get off me you klutz!"

"I would if you moved your foot," Danny said in exasperation.

As Dash moved his foot, his leg brushed up against Danny's crotch. Danny quickly scrambled off him in embarrassment. Dash got up and dusted himself off in annoyance. He was about to make fun of Danny for being clumsy, but stopped when Danny pushed past him carrying the stack of books in his arms.

Danny walked away to hide his blush and quickly mumbled, "Sorry for falling on you."

Dash looked on in confusion as the other boy quickly made his way to their table and sat down again. Dash just gave a small shrug and looked back at the book Danny had been trying to get. With a more sturdy grace he stepped onto the foot ladder and retrieved it. As he walked back to their table he surprised Danny by shoving the book in his face.

Danny blinked as he stared at it, his eyes showing a small hatred for the book. The stupid thing was the reason he nearly broke his neck, why he felt like an idiot and the reason why he felt so weird right now. As he took the book from Dash and thanked him, his mind replayed the scene again. The small blush on his face grew as his body reminded him of how strangely exciting it had been to have a body underneath him like that. He quickly clamped that train of thought when he remembered that the body belonged to _Dash_.

"Fenton, I don't have time to read all this stuff," complained Dash.

He eyed the stack of books in boredom before looking back at Danny.

"You don't have to read them all the way through, just the chapters that matter to your paper," explained Danny. "Just remember to write down facts and the page you found them on. Here I'll help you figure out which books to use."

He grabbed the top book from the stack and quickly read the front flap summary and table of contents. He did the same for all of them making two different piles, one with the books that helped and one with the books that didn't.

A soft giggle echoed near him and Danny looked up to realize Dash wasn't there anymore. He looked to his left when he heard another giggle come from one of the book aisles. Shaking his head in annoyance, he made his way to a nearby book aisle where he thought the giggle originated from. As he peered through the books, what he saw didn't surprise him but made him angry nonetheless.

Dash was leaning slightly against the shelf and flirting with a girl Danny vaguely remembered from his biology class. A small blush graced her cheeks as Dash whispered things into her ear. Danny watched as she tore a sheet of paper from her notebook and jotted down something before handing it to Dash. The blond winked at her once before whispering something to her again. Danny rolled his eyes and walked back to their table to gather his things.

"Hey what are you doing?" asked a voice beside him,

Danny gave Dash an angry look and was about to call him a jerk for wasting his time, but realized that Dash really hadn't done anything he didn't already expect. Even so, seeing Dash acting like that while he was actually working in earnest to help the other boy made Danny want to leave. He picked up two books and handed them to Dash.

"I just remembered something I have to do, but I marked the chapters you should read tonight. We'll meet up tomorrow, same time. Later Dash," said Danny, his tone leaving no room for argument.

With a sigh he grabbed his backpack and walked away without another word. Dash watched him wondering why the other boy was so anxious to leave all of a sudden.

* * *

(**4 days later**) 

Dash looked out the window in annoyance and boredom. The weather had been sunny and pleasant this morning, but the crazy turn it took with this rain and thunder was annoying him even more. Here he was the most popular guy in school, stuck in the library on a Saturday night all because of his stupid paper.

_llllllllll_  
"Excuse me you two, but the library will be closing in 5 minutes," said a stuffy middle-aged woman as she looked at Dash and Danny.

"In that case I gotta go take a whiz," Dash said bluntly as he stood up.

Danny couldn't help but chuckle at the appalled look on the librarian's face.

Dash made his way inside the boy's restroom and went about his business. Suddenly a bolt of lightening crashed loudly outside and Dash saw the pitter patter of rain on the window. _'That's weird...it wasn't cloudy this morning,'_ he thought. As he went to go wash his hands, the rain outside echoed louder against the window.

He was about to leave, when he felt something strong wrap around his leg. Suddenly he was lifted upside down in the air and to his horror an ugly green goo thing was holding on to him. The thing grew in size and Dash screamed as it wrapped a tentacle around his waist.

"Aghhh! Let me go!"

All the monster did in response was growl and start to go on a rampage. Dash watched as it used one of its tentacles to break a mirror and bathroom stall at the same time. In its wake of destruction, the monster slammed him on the ground. His head hurt badly and it felt like the tentacle was digging into his back. _'Somebody…help me,'_ was his last thought before passing out.  
_llllllllll_

Dash turned his head to look back at Danny. His eyes focused back on what the other boy was doing. Danny grinned in triumph when he found what he was looking for inside the first aid kit. He took out his supplies and laid them out next to where Dash was resting on the floor. Dash moved his head from atop of his letterman jacket and was able to sit up slowly. His back was killing him from the action, but at least he was sitting up. For all his efforts, Danny merely pushed him back down again.

"Dash, try not to move," he said firmly.

He quickly opened up the antiseptic bottle and tended to the gash on Dash's right temple. Dash winced slightly as the small cotton ball was pressed down over the cut.

The two remained silent as Danny finished bandaging a large cut on his left cheek. Dash still didn't understand how exactly he got injured in the first place. He couldn't even remember what happened to him. One minute he was just washing his hands and the next he found himself laying down on the floor like this.

All Danny told him was that when he and the librarian found Dash, he was on top of a pile of glass and wood looking beat up. The bathroom didn't look that much better and there was a large hole in the wall, where they believed that whatever attacked him had escaped. The librarian had already called the police to investigate and was busy assessing the damage while she waited for them to arrive.

The blond desperately tried to remember what happened, but every time he did it felt like something was blocking the memory back. Dash tried to think of something else as Danny cleaned up the cuts and bruises on his face. He found himself drawn to the other's look of concentration and his fascination grew as he saw the concern and worry reflected in the light blue eyes in front of him. The more he looked into Danny's eyes, the more his mind tried to recall something about them. They seemed plain and ordinary to him, like they'd looked different once.

'_Maybe I did hit my head harder than I thought. That'd explain why I'd be crazy enough to think about Fenton's eyes at a time like this,'_ he thought. He realized too late, that the other boy was staring expectantly right back at him.

"Huh?" said Dash dumbly.

Danny sighed in exasperation. It figures the other boy wouldn't listen to him, even when he was trying to help.

"I said that if your head still hurts this thing has some aspirin."

"Oh, no thanks."

Dash tried to sit up, a small groan of pain escaping from his lips as he did. Dash prayed the other boy hadn't heard it, but of course Danny did and turned a concerned frown at him.

"Does your back hurt or something?" Danny asked.

"No," he answered quickly.

He was grateful and all for Danny's help, but a part of him hated being treated like a weakling. His gaze met Danny's and realized the other boy wasn't buying it one bit.

As Danny scooted away from Dash, he sarcastically replied, "Yeah right."

He was about to say something in response, but the next words out of Danny's mouth stopped him.

"Take off your shirt so I can give you the look over."

A blonde eyebrow rose up at the request, "What?"

Realization dawned on Danny's face and a small blush came to his face when he realized what his words sounded like, "No, I-I meant take off your shirt so I can check for more _injuries_."

Dash stared at him before chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny?" asked Danny with a frown.

"You wouldn't understand," replied Dash as he slowly eased the black shirt off his shoulders.

As he pulled his undershirt over his head, he missed the surprised look on Danny's face. Dash set his clothes aside and turned back to Danny. The other boy leaned closer and ran a finger over a small bruise near one of his ribs. The strange action tickled him and made the blond's eyebrow rise again. The other boy was looking at his finger as if there was something on it, but when Dash looked there as nothing there.

"What is it?" asked Dash curiously.

Danny looked up and chuckled to himself. "You wouldn't understand," he mimicked.

Dash simply rolled his eyes and let the other boy tend to the few bruises on his torso and back. Some of them hurt badly, but he tried not to show it. His mind drifted back to something that had been bothering him today.

_lllllllll_  
He was out early at the park doing his usual morning run when he felt a slight chill run down his spine. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked around until his eyes landed on a boy leaning against a nearby tree. Something drew Dash towards him and the closer he got, the sooner Dash was able to recognize the cocky figure.

As he stood in front of the boy, a whisper laced with contempt escaped his lips, "Rolland."

"Baxter."

The other boy gave him a devilish smirk as he pushed off the tree to stand in front of him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" spite dripping from Dash's voice.

"My mother says I need more sunshine and fresh air," Griffith said sarcastically. "What about you?"

Dash gave him a redundant answer, "Jogging in the park."

"Oh right, I forgot people still do that," Griffith said, his tone inferring something else. "Still it's a...pleasant coincidence to find you here meathead."

"No, it's only pleasant for you dipstick," said Dash in annoyance.

"Touche," Griffith said meeting the blonde's gaze head on.

"What do you want?" Dash asked impatiently.

He really didn't really want to be near the senior anymore than he had to. He had to restrain the urge to fight the raven-haired oddball.

"What I want Dash, is more than you could ever imagine." His green eyes roamed up the length of Dash's body and made him uncomfortable, "Then again, maybe you can."

"It's been brought to my attention that you and Danny Fenton have patched things up and started on the oh-so-glorious path to friendship, how touching," he said sarcastically.

Dash narrowed his eyes at Griffith, "Who told you that?"

"I said it was my own observation. You see, I know Danny better than most people. Nobody knows it, but we're like family. So I'm sure you can understand my concern when I see him acting so friendly towards you, especially after all the...less than friendly things you've done to him."

"Are you saying he's only being nice because he wants something in return?"

"No," Griffith said smoothly. "I'm simply saying that he's acting very strange lately, but I can't wrap my head around it exactly. You are merely one of the signs that he is."

Dash looked down at the ground in deep thought. _'Heh and here I thought Fenton was just being his do-gooder self, but what if he's up to something. Wait, how do I know that Rolland's not full of it anyway?'_ Dash looked up to ask just that, but to his surprise the other boy was gone.  
_lllllllll_

"Why?"

Danny stopped what he was doing and looked up at Dash, "Did you say something?"

"Why?" Dash repeated louder.

Danny raised an eyebrow at the question, "Why what?"

"Why are you helping me Fenton?" Dash asked suspiciously.

"What? Why are you asking?" Danny replied in surprise.

"I've picked on you since the 2nd grade, so we're not even friends or anything. Either way you're still being all nice to me. Why?"

Danny looked at him, realizing Dash was asking him in earnest. Danny could have said any number of things, all would have been partially true, but something about Dash's expression made him feel like his answer was important. He scratched the back of his neck and thought about what to say.

"It doesn't matter...about you picking on me back then...or now. I don't really care about that anymore," Danny said slowly. To his surprise he realized it was true.

His light blue gaze met the blond's darker one as he spoke, "Deep down you're not the jerk most people think you are and even though you won't understand, I know you need help." _'More than you know.'_ he thought. "And...you're probably right about us not being friends, but right now you need one."

"Wow Fenton, that was so...incredibly corny," said Dash with a smirk.

He laughed a little at the annoyed look he got in return, "Heh, oh come one Fenton, I'm just joking."

The truth was he didn't really know what to say to Danny's words. The raven haired boy seemed so open and honest when he spoke that his words struck a cord inside of Dash. To be honest he didn't know how to react, it was simply his nature that made him joke whenever things got too serious.

Danny smirked as he said, "In that case I'm only being nice to you because you're the quarterback, Dash. If you don't play in next Friday's game against the Dankville Crows, we won't stand a chance."

Dash laughed at the comment before puffing out his chest slightly, "Yeah that's true."

Both laughed before falling into an easy silence again. Danny continued what he was doing, feeling the earlier tension now gone between them.

Dash gave him a small smile as he said, "Ya know I think coach is gonna let you play in that game."

"Heh, yeah right," said Danny sarcastically. He leaned forward to tend to a big bruise on Dash's shoulder blade.

"Hey, I'm being serious. You don't stink as much as when you first made the team. You're actually pretty good," said Dash reluctantly albeit sincerely.

Danny felt warmth in his stomach at the compliment. He smiled in response and went back to what he was doing. When he was finally done, he cleaned up everything and stood up to put the first aid kit away. Dash slowly eased his top shirt back on and lay back down to rest. The sudden feeling of being tired surprised him, but he didn't really want to fall asleep just yet. He did feel much better now and his back wasn't killing him anymore.

"Haha, I think I have the record for the most times a jock can get hurt and not die," he joked.

He expected the freshman to laugh with him, but instead a look of dread passed over Danny's face before it was quickly replaced into a smile.

"Yeah, how are you feeling?" asked Danny distractedly.

Dash looked at the other boy's strange smile and thought it looked forced. He thought about something that would change the other's expression.

"Better, thanks Fenton. Who knew you were good at this nurse stuff," said Dash joking.

He felt a small sense of triumph as he saw the other's boy smile change into a more natural one.

"Yeah I get a lot of practice," admitted Danny.

"You do?" asked Dash in mild surprise.

Danny quickly realized his mistake. Of course he got a lot of practice with bandaging himself up after ghost patrol, but he couldn't tell Dash that.

"Uh yeah, my dad's always falling down and doing stuff that gets him hurt. Sometimes I'm the one that has to help him," Danny said, only half lying.

"Oh. No offense Fenton, but your old man sounds like a goof."

"Yeah, he is sometimes," said Danny, smirking at the thought of his dad's crazy ghost escapades.

Dash noticed the look and felt a small jealousy rise up inside, "Well at least you get to spend time with your dad."

"It sounds like you don't," replied Danny hesitantly.

"Yeah," Dash said flippantly. "It's not a big deal though. I mean ever since my dad got his promotion he doesn't spend that much time with me and my mom anymore, but I understand. At least he's not a deadbeat ya know? He puts food on the table and I know he cares. I just wish he could show up to more of my games like he used to."

Danny looked down at him as he asked, "Have you told him that?"

"Nah, he's too busy, but like I said, it's ok. At least my mom shows up to all my games and that's good enough," said Dash quietly.

Danny nodded and decided to drop the subject. He looked down at his watch seeing it read 9:14 pm. He flipped the lid on his watch to see the other time. _'61 days, 23 hours, 38 minutes and 35 seconds. Huh, time sure flies when I'm trying to save someone's life.'_ A small snore caught his attention and he looked down to see that Dash had fallen fast asleep.

End of Chapter 6

Author's Notes: Ooooook. I look back on this and realize that not only is this the longest chapter of the story, but probably the one where there will be flagrant OOC violations. Sorry about that, but I hope you guys still liked it. Please review! Thanks!

_Spider's Shout Outs:  
(because I didn't want to leave a voice message)  
_  
**Dela the Hidden**: Hey! Yeah cliffhangers are an equal package; a good thing for writers, a bad thing for readers. The good thing is that at least this chapter didn't end in a cliffhanger...just a snoring Dash, lol. Hope you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review!

**Fire-Ice-Henna**: Hey there! Wow the first one? Cool. I hope my story was a good prelude to all the other awesome stories in the DP section. Hope you liked this new update. Thanks for the review!

**Ashley Ketchum1**: Hola! Estoy tan contenta que te gusta mi fic. El problema es que no puedo escribir muy bien en español. Estoy preguntando a muchos de mis amigos para que me ayuden a traducir este fic. Ojala que encuentre alquien que lo puede hacer, hasta entonces lo voy a intentar yo misma. Muchas gracias, me has dado una nueva idea!

**Kayume Silver**: Hello again! I'm glad you still like my fic. Every new review given always tops off the one before it because sometimes the action speaks louder. lol, I hope that makes sense. FYI Dash is getting tutored in history (as you can see from this chapter).You said your chant now, I'll say mine. Please Review, Please Review, Please Review!

**Akiko**: Always a good thing to know. I wouldn't want this story to get stale like last week's leftovers. Hope you dug this chappie. Thanks for the review!

**KimuraSato**: Hope you liked Danny's adventures in tutoring. Yup and it's a good thing popularity hasn't gotten to his head, won't leave room for his next upcoming endeavor. ;-) An ominous smirk"I have evil plans for you, fear me." lol Thanks for the too cool review!


	7. The Pigskin Polka

Disclaimer: Unless I build a time machine to change the past, I'm not going to own Danny Phantom any time soon.   
  
Author's Notes: Enjoy this reenactment of how the loser can be the winner at the same time!  
  
Chapter 7: The Pigskin Polka  
  
"Go, fight, win! Win you mighty Ravens! Go, fight, win! Win you mighty Ravens!"  
  
As the cheerleaders finished their routine the excitement within the crowd increased and the band began to play another song. Seeing the mass of energetic faces, Danny took it all in and felt a small sense of awe. He'd never been on this side of those stands and now he knew what it looked it. Danny turned to his left and gave a thumbs up as he spotted his friends and family waving and cheering at him.   
  
He turned back to the game and saw his teammates in a huddle deciding the next play. Coach Higgins paced in front of his line of vision suddenly and Danny watched as the older man looked on in expectation at how Dash was going to work the play. Danny looked at the score board seeing the 21 to 24, with the Ravens down by 3 points. With only 2 minutes left, the Ravens had to score a touchdown to win.  
  
A loud 'break' caught his attention and Danny saw the other players disperse and get into formation. Had he not been looking closely he wouldn't have noticed the small glance Kwan and Dash gave him before they set down into position. _'Were they looking at me?'_ he thought. He watched as Kwan hiked the ball to Dash. Everyone watched as the quarterback threw the ball at another boy before he was tackled down. Danny watched anxiously as Cliff, who caught the ball, spun around once and avoided getting tackled. The crowd went nuts as they watched the receiver getting closer to the end zone.   
  
At the last second, a beefy boy from the Dankville Crows rammed into him. Danny flinched at the sight and looked on in suspense as the beefy boy got off of an unmoving Cliff. While Crows' fans cheered on the hit, the home team looked on in worry as the injured boy was gently helped up by his fellow teammates and brought back to the sidelines. Coach Higgins ran forward, the assistant coach not far behind him. Danny as well as everyone else watched as they examined Cliff's right leg. He heard the grunt of pain and realized Cliff's leg was probably broken.   
  
Johnny the Voice, the local radio announcer, looked down at the scene as he spoke "Ooo, that doesn't look good folks. Number 38, Cliff Stanton, looks like he's out of this game and possibly the season. With 15 yards to go, less than a minute left in this game and nearly every player injured or tired, I think the question on every Raven's mind is; who is Coach Higgins going to put in this game?"   
  
"Fenton! Suit up, you're in!"  
  
"What?!" Danny exclaimed in surprise.   
  
"I said your in. Now get your sorry butt in there and tell Dash to play Red Raven to you." Coach Higgins said leaving no room for argument.  
  
Danny nodded nervously as he put on his helmet and mouth guard. He jogged onto the field, the crowd cheering in response to the game being continued.  
  
"Hold the phone fellow Raven fans! I've just received word that Coach Higgins is going to put in the rookie addition number 14, Danny Fenton!" Johnny the Voice said loudly.  
  
"Oh Jack did you hear that? They're going to put Danny in the game." Maddie said excitedly.  
  
"That's my boy. Go get 'em Danny!" Jack said loudly. He waved his big foam finger every which way.  
  
"Wow you're parents are really into this." Sam said as she looked at Jazz.  
  
"As well as embarrassing me, but at least their acting like normal parents." Jazz said smiling. She too cheered on her brother as he jogged toward the huddle.  
  
"Hey look guys, it's Fenton." someone said. They all turned to see the freshman coming towards them.   
  
Danny joined the huddle and nervously said, "Dash, coach wants you to run Red Raven."   
  
Kwan who was right beside him asked, "To who?"   
  
"To me." Danny said. His face was determined but nervous. The others turned to look at Dash and saw face go from an expectant glare into a cocky smirk.   
  
"Alright you heard the man. Break on three!" Kwan said loudly. "One, two, three!"  
  
"Break!" they all said as they moved to get ready. Danny was about to walk to the right side of the field when Dash stopped him.   
  
"Fenton if you mess up, I'll clobber you into next week." Dash said threateningly. He pushed past Danny and went to stand in his place. Danny just sighed and stood ready. Another boy stood in front of him chuckling. Danny quickly went ghost as the ball was hiked to Dash. He ran forward and pushed passed the other boy, knocking him down for good measure. He looked back to see the football zooming toward him.  
  
It all happened in slow motion as out of nowhere the same boy he'd pushed out of the way, crashed right into him. The two sailed through the air, but Danny still managed to catch the ball. Without thinking, his powers kicked in and he flew directly into the end zone with a loud thud. The two tumbled onto the field and ended up in a tangle of limbs. Danny blinked his eyes open, their shade returning back to blue, and sat up to see his school cheering.   
  
"I can't believe what I just saw ladies and gentlemen! Danny Fenton caught the ball after a nasty tackle and crashed head first into the end zone without dropping the ball! This is truly one of the most interesting catches I've ever seen in my career, folks." Johnny the Voice turned his attention to the referee who signaled that the game was over. "Ravens win! Ravens win! With a final score of 27 to 24, our own Casper High Ravens have come out victorious once again thanks to that crazy dive bomb catch from Danny Fenton!"  
  
While the crowd cheered loudly, Danny was lifted up and carried by the team as they chanted his name. Danny raised his arms up as he whooped and cheered with them. He felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness and triumph as the train of players headed out of the field to the locker room, their loud chanting echoing behind them.  
  
None of the happy citizens below saw Griffith standing on top of one of the light poles. The wind ruffled his black hair as his green eyes narrowed into angry slits. His voice was deeper as he spoke, "Enjoy this small victory while you still can, Danny. Soon you'll feel pain unlike any you've ever imagined...and then I'll kill you."

* * *

(Inside the locker room)  
  
"Men we played an excellent game tonight. We've shown our skill, our strength and most importantly our determination when the odds were against us. Not only did we beat the tar out of the Crows, but we are one more win closer to the state championships in late December. You've all done well and some of you proved yourselves tonight," he said as he looked at Danny. "Now that that's been said, get cleaned up ladies and get a good night's sleep. Practice starts Monday after school for the upcoming game against our rivals, the Hillside Hawks."   
  
Most of the players grunted in response to the name of their long time enemies. As Coach Higgins walked back to his office, Danny saw Kwan follow after him. Most of the other players talked and joked as they made their way to their lockers to get cleaned up. Some of the players gave him a pat on the back or a word of congratulations. Danny quietly went to his own locker and quickly divested himself of his uniform until he was standing in only his red polka dot boxers.   
  
"Hey, good job out there D.F." said a boy next to him. Danny turned his attention and saw it was one of the other receivers named Derek Sanchez. He'd grown closer with him through their time spent during practice. The sophomore had gone out of his way to help Danny get the basics of football down.  
  
Danny smiled in return and said a quick, "Thanks D.S." He put his things away and finished undressing to take a shower.   
  
"Five bucks says that coach makes you an official receiver." Derek said as he walked with Danny to the showers.  
  
"I don't think so." Danny said timidly.  
  
"Nah, you're a shoo-in man. With Cliff's leg busted he'll be out for at least a month. We're gonna need another receiver to rotate in if we even hope to stand a change against those creepy buzzards from Hillside." Danny smiled at the thought of finally being a part of the team, for being a good player not out of desperation. As he showered, his mind mulled over the matter.  
  
Thirty minutes later he was showered, dressed and ready to go. Derek had left a few minutes earlier and now Danny was the only one still in his locker aisle. As he stood up and picked up his gym bag to leave, he heard the sound of whistling coming from one of the other locker aisles. Out of curiosity he walked toward the happy sound and discovered that it was Dash. The blonde closed his locker and picked up his own gym bag. When he finally noticed Danny standing in front of him, a smile came to his face.  
  
"Hey Fenton," Dash said walking toward him.  
  
"Hey Dash. You must be pretty happy if your whistling." Danny said casually.  
  
"Yeah I had an awesome day." Dash said as he reached inside his gym bag for something. When he found what he was looking for he waved it in front of Danny's face. Danny smiled when he recognized it as Dash's history paper. "Check it out Fenton, I got a B! I've never gotten anything higher than a C in my life! It's all thanks to you man."  
  
"Wow, congratulations Dash," Danny said. He really was happy for the blonde boy.  
  
"That's not even the best part dude. My dad actually showed up to tonight's game." Dash said as the two walked side by side and out of the locker room.  
  
"That's really cool, but I thought you said your dad was always busy." Danny said with a smirk.  
  
"He is, but he said some strange green guy attacked the company where he works at. The guy didn't hurt anybody, but he pretty much trashed everything and now they have to shut down until Monday."  
  
"Some green guy? That's really weird." Danny said uneasily. _'He'd definitely wig out if he knew that the only reason his dad was able to make it was because I went a few rounds with the ghost of a boxer?'_   
  
"Yeah." Dash agreed. "Hey my folks are waiting for me outside, do you need a ride or something? It's the least I could do for all your help."  
  
"Thanks, but I have my own ride." Danny said politely.  
  
"Alright. Catch ya later Fenton," Dash said as he walked toward the parking lot. He stopped as he seemed to remember something and turned around. "Oh yeah I almost forgot, Kwan wanted me to invite you to his party tomorrow night."  
  
"Party? I dunno, I might be busy." Danny said. _'Fighting off boring ghosts.'_ he thought unhappily. He expected the blonde to accept his answer, but to his surprise the other boy walked back toward him.  
  
"Aw come on Fenton, don't be such a nerd. This is Kwan's party we're talking about. Your odds of having fun, getting drunk and acting stupid are high. Besides your the star of tonight's game, think of it as...a celebration party. Hey if you feel weird about it, invite your two weirdo friends Manson and Foley." Dash said, giving him a convincing smile. "Think about it," he threw over his shoulder.  
  
Danny watched him leave, surprised by Dash's persistence to get him to go. He merely shrugged and walked behind the gym. Anyway, it was a nice night to fly home and he could think about it along the way.  
  
End of Chapter 7  
  
Author's Notes: Yay, Danny actually scored a touchdown! Sure it was sort of an accident and he was using his powers, but it won't always be that way. So for once all three of the ghost hunting musketeers are going to be invited to a party? What fun will it bring out next. Please review! Thanks!  
  
_Spider's Shout Outs:  
(because smoke signals are way too quiet)  
_  
**Ranma Higurashi**: Horay, a new reader has appeared! Finally someone's asked me about my cheesy chapter titles for this fic, lol. The name I chose for this story drew me into a sort of dance theme title for each chapter. The dance name itself is a sort of hint at what the chapter is going to be like. lol, hope that satisfied your curiosity. Thanks for your cool review! :-)  
  
**Katy Kreger**: Hey girl! I still can't figure out which baseball player that is. I even asked my dad, but he wasn't sure either, lol. When you find out tell me asap! Thanks for the nifty e-mails/review!  
  
**Dela the Hidden**: Hey there! The funny thing is that Dash hasn't really noticed the watch _yet_. I think if he did it would pique his curiosity as to why Danny has a watch that on the inside says "Your time now is..." ::wink::wink:: (you are one step further on the sidewalk). I hope you dug this chapter update and thanks for the review!  
  
**Akiko**: Hey! Ya know, I think you said it well with so few words. Yeah, the slash is finally happening (horay), but the sad thing is you know something will always get in the way (boo). lol. Anyway I hope you dug this update and thanks again for your review!   
  
**KimuraSato**: Hello again! Yay, I'm glad you liked that more "slashy" chapter. I kinda laughed the whole time I wrote that it and I will say this, when Dash returns the favor (cause it's only fair), I'll be laughing even more. (:-D) Thanks again for the too cool review!  
  
**RavenGhost**: Yay, another new reader has come! Me likes that you likes! lol. Well alrighty, I hope you like this update too. Thanks for your "short, sweet and said it complete" style review!   
  
**Kayume Silver**: Hello there! Yeah, I know what you mean, but the truth is that I'm updating so fast because I'm really into this story and for once I'm damned determined to finish a fic with a bang. Sadly I can't make cute lil chici faces because they're never saved when I update, (:-( ), but I can still do this, (X-D) Thanks for the nice review! :)


	8. The Friendship Foxtrot

Disclaimer: Let's see, if I owned Danny Phantom the world would be chaos...it's not, so I don't.  
  
Author's Note: Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 8: The Friendship Foxtrot  
  
_I don't feel confused with what I'm doing,  
and I don't need the world to love me.  
I can ride the clouds and leap tall buildings.  
I can be myself without having to worry.  
  
You're my smart and fiery Lois Lane,  
strong and beautiful Mary Jane.  
You're the only one for me.  
The woman who keeps me sane.  
  
That's why with you I will never run,  
cause in this life, you're my equilibrium!  
Whoa oh oh, you're my comic book love.  
Whoa oh oh, you're my comic book love!  
  
You make me feel stronger against my inner villains.  
You make me feel like I'm not worthless.  
I feel like I'm a comic book hero  
with a superman confidence.  
  
I know that you're falling down,   
but baby don't worry, don't even cry.  
Just look to the disappearing blue sky  
cause I promise to catch you every time.  
  
That's why with you I will never run,  
cause in this life, you're my equilibrium!  
Whoa oh oh, you're my comic book love.  
Whoa oh oh, you're my comic book love!_  
  
"Whoa oh oh, you're my comic book love." Tucker sang along softly with the song.   
  
He twirled Sam around once as they continued to slow dance. She couldn't help but snigger every time Tucker's voice was off key. She laid her head on his shoulder and breathed in the clean and spicy scent. As his arms pulled her closer, her heart felt like it was flip flopping around with the butterflies in her stomach. The Goth girl felt like the suspense was going to kill her any minute now, but she enjoyed the moment nonetheless. As the song came to an end, Tucker pulled away slightly to look at her. Their gazes met, emotions clear and there for the other to see. Tucker gathered his courage and slowly leaned forward. Sam licked her lips and closed her eyes in anticipation.   
  
The world disappeared around them as their lips met in slow, but passionate kiss. His mouth pressed more urgently to her own and Sam couldn't help but let out a small sigh of pleasure. As the kiss drew on, Sam felt brave enough to wrap her arms around Tucker's neck. Her fingers played slightly with the hairs at his nape. Now it was Tucker's turn to groan as his neck became sensitive to her ministrations. Tucker's hand pulled her closer to him, while the other slid down the length of Sam's face. As he cupped her face closer to his own, his thumb caressed her cheek softly.  
  
The two reluctantly broke apart, but let the new and strange feeling wash over them. Tucker's eyes held a happy and glazed look as he smiled at a flustered Sam. They looked at each other both mirroring the same flustered smile. This kiss had been very different from the awkward one they'd shared the first time.  
  
"I've been wanting to do that for awhile," Tucker admitted.  
  
"I've been waiting for you to do that," Sam replied sheepishly. The two walked off the dance floor hand in hand, their fingers interlaced.   
  
"Married couple," said a slightly sing song voice near them. The two immediately blushed at the familiar voice. They looked behind them to see a smirking Danny with his arms crossed. "Can't I go to the bathroom for 5 minutes without you two making out?" Danny teased. "When were you two planning on telling me you had a thing for each other?"  
  
"Hey dude, we just figured it out right now," Tucker said smiling.  
  
"Yeah well it took you guys long enough. I was going to gag if I had to look at you two give each other repressed soulful stares one more time." Danny said as he imitated his friends.  
  
"Were we really that obvious?" Sam asked uncomfortably.  
  
"Even Dash wondered if you two had a thing going on." Danny said laughing.   
  
The two laughed with him, feeling relief that Danny seemed to accept their relationship. The trio headed off toward the snack table and drank sodas as they talked. After awhile Danny quickly realized that his friends seemed anxious to be alone. With a broad smile on his face he politely told the two that he was going to enjoy the rest of the party and insinuated that they get started on a make out session.  
  
The earlier smile on Danny's face fell as he watched the two flustered teenagers leave. It was a bittersweet happiness that threatened to overwhelm him and made him feel slightly guilty. He was happy for his friends, but seeing them like that made him wish he had someone. The sound of clapping and cheering reached his ears and his gaze traveled to the dance floor. The duo dancing in the middle caught his attention. Danny watched as an energetic Paulina and Kwan moved to the music with grace and dexterity.  
  
The crowd around them cheered louder and the two took it as encouragement to dance even closer to each other. They swayed and moved together in sync to the beat of the song. _'Whoa, Kwan is more flexible than he looks.'_ Danny thought in surprise. Eventually he grew tired of watching the lively scene in front of him and turned his attention to the other people at the party. All around him, groups of people were either dancing, sitting down and talking, or just doing other crazy things inside of Kwan's house.  
  
A loud crushing sound caught his attention and he turned around to find a few of his fellow teammates crushing beer cans on their heads. Others were standing near a keg like they were worshipping it. When some of the drunken seniors noticed him, they staggered up and dragged him to join them.  
  
"'ey guys! S'rve some up fer Fent'n!" one of them said slurring. Danny watched as someone filled a cup to the brim with beer before handing it to him.  
  
"Uh, no thanks, I don't drink." Danny said, moving to get away.   
  
"Tha's coo' man, but it's only a sip. You can't get buzz'd wit' one, jus' try it and see how it hits ya," one of the seniors slurred.  
  
"Remember who you're talking to Mike. No way is dorky Fenton going to hold it in. He's too much of a wuss. I bet the loser's a total lightweight." Dash said laughing. Some of the other players laughed with him as he pushed Danny away from them.  
  
Danny stopped at Dash's words, letting them sink in. He looked back at the rowdy blonde and felt his blood boil at the insults. _'I can't believe that I'm risking my neck for this jerk and no matter what I do, no matter how much I try, he still thinks I'm a loser!'_ Danny thought angrily. Without thinking, he roughly pushed past Dash and walked back toward the senior with the proffered cup. He quickly snatched it and downed the bitter liquid in one long and messy gulp. When he was done he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a loud burp. As he excused himself in embarrassment, the other boys around him cheered.  
  
Danny turned a smug smile toward Dash, but in return he was greeted with Dash's annoyed frown. His attention returned to his hand as his cup was refilled. As he stared at his foamy reflection he realized two things; tomorrow he was probably going to regret this, but tonight he really didn't care. With that settled he began to down the beer again, but this time in smaller gulps.

* * *

"Wooo! Yeah!" Danny said as he danced on top of the large table. He'd lost his shirt an hour ago and now the cup he was holding slipped from his hand and onto the floor. Most of the drunks nearby cheered him on, while buzzed onlookers laughed and took pictures. He moved even more to the fast paced song playing from the DJ.   
  
Kwan and Paulina looked on in amusement at the idiotic freshman. Derek made several attempts to get the boy off, afraid Danny would fall and hurt himself, but all the drunk boy did was skirt away from him. Having had enough of this, Dash walked toward the sophomore to get his attention.  
  
"Yo Sanchez, go get those geeks Fenton calls friends."  
  
"But what about Danny?" Derek asked uncertainly.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll get him down. Just go get them." Dash said as he looked up at the energetic drunk. Derek nodded, a strange smile on his face, and went to find Sam and Tucker. With a sigh, Dash stepped on top of the table and toward the frenzied boy. Danny saw him and gave him a goofy grin.  
  
"Hey Dash, dance with me!" Danny said as he grabbed Dash's arm and moved closer toward the blonde. Dash blushed as some of the other partygoers cheered louder and whistled them on, thinking they were going to get a show. Finally having had enough embarrassment, he pulled himself away from the hyperactive boy.   
  
"I'm sorry dude," Dash said quietly before punching the other boy right in the stomach.  
  
Danny stopped moving, his breath coming out as a wheeze of pain. Dash managed to catch him when his knees buckled. Several of the onlookers winced, while others merely laughed at the display. Dash carefully helped Danny off the table. He pushed passed the small crowd that had formed and made his way outside. He turned his head at the sound of his name being called.   
  
Derek stood in front of him, panting like he'd run a marathon. A worried frown appeared on his face, "Dash I couldn't find his friends. I looked everywhere and nobody's seen where they've gone to. What are we going to do?"  
  
Derek watched in surprise as Danny gave Dash a hurt look and tried to pull away from the blonde. Dash merely gave him a shake and put the other boy's arm around his neck to get a better grip. "I guess we better drive him out of here." Dash said. His annoyance was only growing by the minute. When Danny was sober again, he was going to get it. "You have your permit right?"  
  
"Yeah, but I already had two and I don't want to risk it." Derek said. "Do you think anyone else can drive him?" He asked hopefully.  
  
Dash took a look around before shaking his head, "No, they're all too far gone already or don't a permit. Most of them are just going to walk home trashed, while the rest pass out in Kwan's house." After thinking about what to do, his mind gave him a begrudging idea. "Look the idiot really needs to get home, you stay here and keep looking for his friends. I know they're here somewhere. When you find 'em just tell 'em I'm taking care of him."  
  
"Got it, but be careful with him." Derek said as he looked at the disheveled appearance of his friend. Dash nodded absently as he tried to get an uncoordinated Danny into his jacket. _'I think I'm missing something here. Dash Baxter is being nice toward Danny Fenton? Heh, maybe I had more than two.'_ Derek thought as he watched them stagger out of the party.

* * *

"53 bottles of beer on the wall, 53 bottles of beer, you take one down and pass it around, 52 bottles of beer of the wall!" Danny sang off key. "52 bottles-"  
  
"Shut up!" Dash yelled in frustration. "You've been singing that stupid song for 10 minutes!"   
  
Danny stopped his singing and looked down at the ground with a childish sigh, "Chh big meanie. Jus' why're you so mean to me all the time, Dash?" A hiccup escaped his drooping lips. "Wha' did I ev'r do to you?" he slurred.  
  
Danny took Dash's brief silence as his cue to keep talking, "I mean I've 'elped you, tried ta be friends wit' you, even risk'd my life fer you."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Dash asked out of curiosity.  
  
"Well fer 'xample, I only join'd the football team ta get close ta ya because your dumb self needs 'elp." Danny said matter-of-factly.  
  
"If you're being honest then that's a stupid reason cause I don't need help from you Fenton," Dash said.  
  
"Yes ya do," Danny said in a sing song voice. He groaned slightly and lost his balance again, almost bringing Dash down with him. "I'm tired of walkin', jus' wanna fly home."  
  
"Pfft, it's not like we can," Dash said annoyed at him.  
  
"_You_ can't, but _I_ can." Danny said smugly. "I'm special like tha'. If ya let me go right now, I'll show ya." Danny said bragging.  
  
Dash ignored him and kept on walking, "If I let you go you'll drop like a sack of potatoes and pass out on the street."  
  
"No I won'...well maybe jus' a lil, but tha's ok cause you're 'ere. You wouldn't leave me 'ere drunk on the street." Danny slurred. He held on to Dash tighter as they turned the corner.   
  
"How do you know? I might get annoyed by you _talking_ so much and drop your sorry carcass here." Dash said.  
  
"No ya won'." Danny said simply. "You're gonna 'elp me out, cause you're not tha' much of jerk like ev'rybody else thinks. I should know cause I'm riskin' my life fer ya." Danny said firmly. He nodded once at his own drunken logic.  
  
"Whatever you say Fenton." Dash said humoring Danny.  
  
It took them 15 minutes, but they finally made it to Danny's house. The drunken boy settled down most of the way, only occasionally opening his mouth to say or ask something simple. Dash never thought he'd be grateful to know where Danny lived, but after a night like this he was tired. Danny got excited once he saw his home in plain view.   
  
"Oh man I've never been drunk b'fore! Good thing I'm home!" Danny said loudly. Dash winced and put a hand on top of Danny's mouth to make him shut up.  
  
Dash whispered loudly, "Shh! Are you nuts? If your folks catch you like this, your dead."   
  
Danny only shook his head vehemently. Dash took a chance and slowly removed his hand to let the other boy talk.  
  
He laughed slightly as he said, "Nope, parents outta town and Jazz at her friend's sleepover. Nobody goin' ta be home till 'morrow night. Hehe, they trusted me to take care of myself." Danny said as he leaned more of his weight onto Dash.   
  
"Yeah so much for that...geez you're heavier than you look." Dash said as he shifted Danny. "Where's the key to your house?"  
  
"In pocket somewhere," Danny said as he fidgeted to try and pull it out. Getting tired of the sluggish movements, Dash reached into Danny's pocket and pulled out the key himself. Moving Danny's weight to his other arm, he managed to open the door and drag the boy inside. As they made their way into the darkened house, Danny quickly pulled away from him and walked off awkwardly.   
  
"Fenton? Where are you?" Dash said he looked around for a light switch. The sound of a crash and something breaking was his only answer. Dash finally found the light switch and flicked it on. The sight that greeted him was an overturned table and broken vase next to a fallen Danny. He quickly made his way over to the dazed boy and picked him up mindful of the mess.   
  
"Man Fenton when you get drunk, you get _drunk_," Dash said chuckling.   
  
Danny said nothing as Dash lifted him up and took him upstairs. Dash looked at every room in the hallway until he found Danny's. When the other boy kept tapping his shoulder he looked down to find a green faced Danny staring back at him. With speed he didn't think he possessed, he managed to carry Danny into the bathroom. Dash unceremoniously dumped Danny over the toilet and held him there while he threw up. The bathroom walls echoed with Danny's loud retching.  
  
When he finally finished, Dash reached over him and flushed the toilet. He grabbed Danny by the collar and dragged him over to the sink. After a 2 minute struggle, he had Danny's mouth somewhat clean and brushed. As the two walked down the hallway Danny was on his feet, but still being helped along by Dash.  
  
"Gross, I'm never drinkin' again," Danny said slowly. "'Ey Where're we goin?" He slurred.  
  
"I'm putting you to bed stupid," Dash said as he opened the door to Danny's room and helped him inside. He quickly lifted Danny up to dump him, but unfortunately for Dash, Danny managed to pull the blonde down with him. The two landed with a loud "oof" on the bed and Dash tried to get off, but Danny's grip kept him in place.  
  
"Don' leave Dash. I hafta...hafta talk to ya," he said slurring. Dash managed to move on Danny's side and remove Danny's hands off of him. He looked down expectantly at the raven haired boy, "Can' we jus' be friends? Why don'cha like me?" He asked giving a hurt look at the blonde. Dash rolled his eyes at Danny, but answered so the idiot would stop bothering him.  
  
"Yes, ok? Yes, I like you and we're friends...and yes you're funny when you're drunk," Dash said smiling. Danny gave him a smile before he suddenly leaned over and embraced Dash. The blonde stiffened at the gesture, not used to getting hugs...especially from guys.   
  
A small blush graced his cheeks as he grit out the other boy's name in a warning, "Fenton." The other boy ignored him and held on tighter.  
  
"Thanks Dash. Now tha' we're friends, I promise to 'elp ya against..." Danny trailed off. Dash felt the grip around him loosen and he looked down to see Danny had passed out. He disentangled himself from the other boy and let him fall back onto his bed. He stood up quickly, but his body protested against the action. A wave of sleepiness hit him and he looked at Danny's clock to see it flash 10:16. He looked down at Danny wearing his letterman jacket and realized it was a lost cause. As he looked at the sleeping boy, an evil idea came to his head.  
  
If Danny wanted to be his friend so badly then Dash was going to treat him like one, after a little payback first. He always brought his digital camera with him to parties. After all, you never knew when something memorable or really stupid was going to happen. A mischievous smile came to his face as he took the first picture. _'Hmm, I wonder where Jazz keeps her makeup?'_  
  
End of Chapter 8  
  
Author's Long End Notes: Drunk scenes in fics are half truths and things that have actually happened to someone (Sad but true.). This drunken scene was brought to you by remembering what happened to someone else I know. Lol, thank god it didn't happen to the letter otherwise my friend would have freaked out worse on that poor drunken idiot.   
  
**The next thing I have to say is that I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I'm going to go somewhere for a week and I've been busy packing and preparing. Sorry times a thousand to you all, but don't worry nothing is going to stop me from updating this fic.** For some reason I'm actually a lil ahead of schedule in my writing when it comes to this one. Anyhoo, I hope you guys liked the update. Hopefully the _big guy upstairs_ will guide me to a place where I can upload the next chapter during this week. ::crosses fingers::  
  
_Spider's Shout Outs:  
(because if it was Spider's Statements it'd sound too boring)_   
  
**lauren**: Hello again! hehehe, I'm glad you stumbled over my fic and reviewed it again. Dash doesn't seem like the type that catches people, he more like cushions their falls, lol. :) The funny thing is that right now I need some sleep too, but I'm gonna stay awake long enough to tell ya that I hope you liked the update and thanks again for reviewing! :-D  
  
**Ranma Higurashi**: Hey there! Wait...there was a South Park marathon....and I wasn't informed? :( Not cool dude. Hehehe, I think Kwan's party was killer...for Danny's social life! ::suppresses a cackle:: :) Thanks for the sweet review! :-D  
  
**Leanie**: Horay! Freaking awesome, another new reader! lol, I hope this satisfied your slash craving. This was chock full of Danny/Dash moments, but alas even I know I didn't really pour on the slash as much as I could have with a drunken Danny. Oh well, I'll just have to fix that won't I? ;) Thanks so much for the dope review! :-)  
  
**AbeoUmbra**: Hello! Wow, your review was the longest one I've ever gotten for this fic and the most challenging to respond to. :) Let me start off by saying that you have a good point about Danny's watch. Yeah Griffith could just be tricking him or hell Danny could just be dreaming all this, but the truth is that he really _did_ sign that contract. This chapter confirms that Sam and Tucker are now an item and right now they only see Danny and Dash as friends. :)  
  
Yeah Griffith has things about him that are unaccounted for, but he and Danny are definitely _not_ related. In a sense he's sort of speaking metaphorically about them being like brothers because they possess similar abilities. On the other hand Griffith is going to pull out all the stops to make Danny fail, even if it means turning Danny and Dash against each other. My opinion on Griffith will only spoil the story, but I promise his omen will make sense later. I'm sorry if this was too vague, but I hope it helped somewhat with your questions. Thanks again for the too cool review! (Just like it's spelled _Gri_ [like in _Gri_d] _Fith_ [like in...well..._Fith_] ) hehehe.  
  
**Dela the Hidden**: Ssshhh! ::looks at the other reviewers nervously and for once talks in a low voice:: Hey again. To be honest if we played that hot and cold game, you'd be warm and sort of close about that watch thing. lol, but keep it on the down low cause that won't be happening soon. I hope this chapter was a little bit longer than the last one. If Dash had been drunk, do you think Danny would have scored in this chapter too? lol. ;-D Thanks so much for your awesome review!  
  
**Kayu Silver**: Hello there! Lol, Danny did a lil dance of his own in this chapter didn't he? ::ponders what a drunken Danny giving a lap dance to Dash looks like:: Whoops, did I imagine that aloud? ;) Short, long, mean or wrong, to me a review is a review and every single one I get rocks. Thanks for the groovy review! :)  
  
**KimuraSato**: Hey girl! You're right about Griffith not being able to kill Danny because the only one that can do that is Dash. :( Not a great confidence builder is it? I hope you laughed at the update and Dash's unwitting attempt at returning the gesture towards Danny. Lol, thanks so much for your review! :-D   
  
**RavenGhost**: Hey! Yeah I hope Danny saves Dash too. lol, jk of course he will, it's just that the path he has to take to get there...sucks. Hehehe, hope you dug this drunken Danny update. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Katy Kreger**: Yo! Glad to know you're still digging on my fic. I only found a bunch of sites for that series, but still not what you're looking for sorry. Thanks for the direct flight review!


	9. The Mall Mambo

Disclaimer: If I owned Danny Phantom, there'd be a futuristic episode where Dash and Tucker would be very happy boys, while Danny and Sam would be too sore to walk for awhile. ;-D   
  
Author's Notes: Yay, I found a computer on my trip and was able to upload this! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 9: The Mall Mambo  
  
Danny couldn't help but laugh at the joke the blonde made. He quickly stifled it however, when he saw a voluptuous redhead walk past them, "Ok what about her?"  
  
"Nah," Dash said dismissively.   
  
Danny looked at him in disbelief, "What's wrong with her?"  
  
"Trust me, she ain't my type of chick." Dash said. Danny gave Dash a small smile and waited for the next girl to pass by.   
  
More than a month had now passed and his relationship with Dash had taken a strange turn. The two became friends ever since the night he got drunk at Kwan's party. Seeing each other the morning after, the two acknowledged the underlying trust they'd been building up. The weeks passed by and their trust grew into a strange but strong friendship. As they grew on each other, they grew because of each other.  
  
Most people didn't understand the dynamics of what the pair could ever have in common, much less what they were like as friends. It was only clear to them that as the two grew closer they formed a balance around each other. Even Dash didn't understand it all the way through, but every now and then he admitted to himself that the shy and clumsy boy had grown on him. Danny was no longer some guy he picked on merely for kicks. No, he was more than that now. He was Dash's friend, an odd one, but his friend nonetheless.  
  
'Dash is worth saving', was one of the more random thoughts Danny kept having around the blonde. The first time Dash proved to him that he wasn't such a jerk was that fateful morning. Half-naked and hung over, he watched in surprise as the blonde moved around his kitchen as if he owned the place. A fluffy and delicious omelet was all Dash gave him, that and something to help him get over his headache. He expected the blonde to tease him endlessly and recount the embarrassing details about his drunken exploits, but all Dash did was smirk at him and make conversation. After that morning he learned that he shouldn't assume Dash's actions and that digital cameras were going to the bane of his social life.  
  
Dash looked at Danny from the corner of his eyes. He didn't understand the other's boy recent obsession with his love life. For the past week Danny had kept bringing up the subject of girls with him and had wrangled him into going on 'hunting excursions'. They'd judged almost every girl that came their way and while had Dash flirted with some of them, he had yet to make a move on any of them. His eyes looked over to a spunky looking girl walking by them.   
  
Before Danny could even ask, he spoke first "Nope." He look on in amusement as Danny slouched in exasperation.  
  
"She has a nice body, probably does sports or something. From her walk I can tell she has a lot of confidence, but a Sailor Moon t-shirt and ponytails? Even the gum she keeps popping tells me she's a fun person to be around but more immature than me. At least she gets points for being a brunette." Dash said grinning.  
  
"Oh yeah I forgot you had a thing for brunettes." Danny replied smiling. As he looked at his watch he saw it was 12:33 in the afternoon. He flipped the switch and let the top lid lift up. _'I only have...40 days, 7 hours, 27 minutes and 2 seconds to help him. I thought becoming friends with Dash was hard, but finding his true love when he's so picky is practically impossible.'_  
  
"Just why are you so dead set in helping me snag a babe anyway?" Dash asked suspiciously. His eyes roamed over to Danny's strange watch. For some reason the other boy never let him see the inside lid.  
  
"You said you needed a date for homecoming." Danny said as if it was the most obvious answer. He clicked his watch into place and made himself more comfortable on the bench.  
  
"Yeah I did, but when I said that I didn't think you'd drag me around town looking at chicks all day. Look dude I appreciate the effort or whatever, but this is actually getting kinda...boring. I'll find a girl on my own and anyway if anyone needs a date it's _you_." Dash said matter-of-factly.  
  
He rolled his eyes at the confused look the raven haired boy gave him in return. He let out a small sigh of frustration before he spoke, "Valerie told me that Paulina's having a hard time picking between you and Kwan."   
  
A sly smile came to his face and made Danny blush. Danny shifted slightly in his seat, inside acknowledging the rumor to be true. Lately the flirtatious brunette had started to hang around him more. She made all sorts of excuses to try to be near him and while at first Danny didn't mind the attention, he now found himself a little surprised by her actions. In reality the more time he spent with her, the more he found her interesting, albeit overbearing. His previous perception of her had been wrong, but it was still fun getting to know her more. The truth was that all his pent up feelings for her were beginning to change and fade slightly.   
  
"Yeah I heard about that. I think Kwan likes her more than I do though so they should go to the dance together." Danny said somewhat sadly.  
  
"Geez you sound so...lame right now Fenton, it's really pathetic." Dash said smirking. Danny hid the hurt look on his face and was about to retort when the blonde interrupted him again, "What's that weird expression our English teacher taught us?"  
  
Dash thought for a moment before a smile came to his face. "All's fair in love and war. Don't be such a martyr, if you want Paulina then you gotta go through some _friendly competition_ with Kwan."  
  
"Isn't Kwan like your best friend?" Danny asked suspiciously.  
  
"This isn't about that Fenton, it's about you growing a spine. If you want a girl like Paulina then go for it dude. You have a chance so there's nothing wrong with asking her." Dash stated firmly.  
  
Dash gauged the other boy's reaction, seeing his words were being taken seriously. Before he could say anything else someone in front of them cleared their throat. Dash and Danny turned their gazes to the broad form until they landed on Griffith's amused face. Danny's breath suddenly turned into a smoky blue haze, but luckily for him Dash didn't notice it because he was so focused on the annoying boy in front of them. The blonde's dark blue eyes narrowed and his body tensed out of habit.   
  
Danny had long ago cleared up the lies Griffith had told Dash and had warned him that Griffith was not to be trusted. As he stood up to face the sophomore, he realized Griffith had a small height advantage over him. Nonetheless he stood his ground ready for whatever the other boy was going to do. Over the past 2 weeks the Goth boy had caused all sorts of mischief to them and frankly Dash was just itching for some payback.  
  
"Don't get all defensive meathead, I'm not here to see _you_." His eyes never wavered as he spoke, and his smirk grew as he saw Dash's eyes shine with realization. He looked down to see his raven haired friend stand up and move toward them.  
  
"Hello Dannyboy, may I have a word with you?" Griffith asked in an affable voice. As Danny looked into the green eyes, he realized the other boy was going to be anything but friendly to him.  
  
Dash took a step forward as he spoke, "I've got a word for you."   
  
Danny moved a hand to stop him. "Dash don't," he said as he looked at Griffith with contempt. "He's not worth it." He kept his gaze steady and started to walk toward his evil doppelganger.  
  
"Yeah meathead chill out, I'm only borrowing your boyfriend for a few minutes," Griffith said with a devilish smile.  
  
Dash's eyes narrowed at his words and felt his hands clench. Before he could get close enough to hit Griffith, Danny merely dragged the Goth away with him. Dash looked at Danny in surprise, while all Danny did was give him a look that told him to stay put. He crossed his arms angrily, but watched their body language closely since he couldn't hear them. Right now he didn't like what he was seeing.

* * *

Danny stopped at a far enough distance from Dash. He looked at Griffith with guarded eyes. The other boy merely looked him up and down with a smile. Danny felt uncomfortable under the gaze and spoke first, "What do you want Griffith?"  
  
"You to join G.R.I.M." He said bluntly. A smirk appeared on his face at the annoyed glare he received from Danny. "In truth I merely came to see your progress first hand. By the looks of it things are going in your favor now that you've managed to gain the meathead's trust."  
  
"You sound almost happy about it." Danny said suspiciously.  
  
"Since you will be a future associate of mine, it is vitally important that I understand how you operate. I won't have _loser_s or _idiots_ for employees." Griffith said condescendingly. On the inside he was thrilled to be pushing more of Danny's buttons. The younger boy was restraining himself from his irrational anger and most likely the urge to hit him.  
  
Danny spoke to him through gritted teeth, "I'm never going to be your lackey, _ever_, and I don't have time for anymore of your stupid mind games or annoying pranks at school. Just leave Dash and me alone, alright?"  
  
"Aww are my bits of fun finally getting to you and the meathead, Dannyboy." Griffith said mocking him.   
  
"No, but your bad breath is." Danny retorted back with a smirk. "No matter what you do, I'm going to win your challenge."  
  
Griffith merely laughed at his words and replied in a colder voice, "You really are nothing but a foolish ghost mutt. All your pathetic efforts will bare no fruit, you imbecile! Can you not see that the small sands of time you have been given make it virtually impossible for anyone to truly fall in love with that Neanderthal. He is nothing more than an arrogant idiot with absolutely no future. His brawn is the only thing that makes up for his sad excuse of a brain. You cannot help him cultivate feelings for someone else and vice versa as he is now. Face it, you were doomed from the very start and now you must accept the truth. You. Will. Fail."  
  
"No I won't!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Several passersby stopped in surprise and turned wary gazes at him. Danny let out an uncharacteristic growl before lunging himself at Griffith. He caught the other boy by surprise and managed to punch him square in the jaw. Griffith reeled back, but Danny gave him no time to recover. He tackled the older boy and the two began fighting for dominance, punching and kicking each other on the floor.   
  
Griffith managed to gain the upper hand and looked down to see Danny's body shaking in anger and his eyes beginning to take on a green hue. Before he could hit Danny's face, he was grabbed by the scruff of his shirt and roughly thrown off him. Despite landing hard on the ground, he quickly picked himself up to face his new attacker.   
  
He smirked and realized that he really should have expected the blonde to aid Danny, especially if it involved him. He watched as Dash helped the raven haired boy up and asked if he was okay. Danny ignored the question and instead looked at Griffith, his eyes shining with anger and back to their normal blue. Dash must have noticed this and had enough common sense to hold Danny back.   
  
Seeing the two together like that triggered an unholy thought within Griffith's mind. As the seconds passed by, he watched them like a surreal dream. Everything was different now and he suddenly realized that no mere tricks could be used here anymore. He felt a small bout of anger at himself for not seeing this sooner. Now that the answer was in front of him, his mind quickly formulated a plan. Perhaps he was the one who had no time.  
  
His expression changed into one of indifference and he slowly came closer toward them. The two stiffened up and glared at him in response. Danny managed to get out of Dash's blockade and stand face to face with Griffith.  
  
"You could have been spared all this Danny, even what you're going through now, but I understand why you won't quit. The problem is that you don't and that is why I will always have the upper hand in this game. I leave you only some words of advice; it is not I that stand in your way, it is your emotions."  
  
The distant sound of two people yelling caught their ears and the three saw the approaching security guards. Griffith bowed dramatically before running off at top speed and getting lost in the crowd. Danny was going to chase after him, but Dash quickly dragged him in the other direction.  
  
"Forget about it Fenton. If you get caught starting a fight with him, Lancer will suspend you." he said hastily.  
  
The two wove around other people, until Dash managed to sneak them into one of the maintenance hallways. Danny felt lost as he ran with Dash and felt the blonde's grip on his wrist starting to hurt. The other boy seemed to know his way around and when they turned another corner a look of relief came to Dash's face. Danny saw the red door and wondered where it led to. His question was answered as Dash quickly opened it and dragged Danny with him.  
  
The two stopped to catch their breath and Danny was briefly thankful for Coach Higgins's crazy sprinting exercises. He turned his attention back to where they were and realized that they were near some kind of loading dock. It was probably where trucks made their deliveries for department stores or something else. His mind let the anger die down as his body relaxed. He could think about Griffith later...much later.  
  
Just as he was about to start walking away his brain zapped him with another realization, Dash hadn't let go of his arm yet. Danny looked down at the calm grip and then at the owner. The good thing was that Dash wasn't even looking at him, but around the corner to make sure they hadn't been followed.   
  
Danny wondered if he should casually ease out of the hold or wait for the other boy to let go first. It's not that he cared that Dash was touching him, he just wasn't used to being touched like that by anyone. While the debate continued inside Danny's mind, the other boy turned his attention to him. The blonde flashed him a triumphant smile before he spoke, "Looks like we lost them."  
  
As Dash started to walk away, he let go of Danny's arm and shoved his hands into his pockets. For a moment Danny stared at Dash's retreating form before letting out an involuntary shrug and following after him. He shoved his own hands in his pocket and quietly walked alongside Dash.   
  
"Dude you really nailed him." Dash said smirking. "Ya know I've never actually seen you fight before. You might be able to even take on me."  
  
"Yeah I guess." Danny replied absentmindedly. The two turned a corner and walked onto one of the more busy main streets. Dash wondered how he could prod the brunette into explaining what happened.  
  
"I hate him." Danny muttered. If Dash hadn't been walking so close to him, he wouldn't have heard Danny's words. His shoulder slumped slightly as he admitted, "He's the first person I've ever actually hated."  
  
"What? You mean I wasn't the first?" Dash said only half-joking.  
  
"It was different with you. I disliked you, but I never hated you." Danny said seriously. Dash heard the sincerity in Danny's words and felt a small sense of ease.   
  
"You must have had a good reason to fight him." Dash said casually.  
  
Danny looked up at the taller boy smiling, "Yeah, I did."  
  
Something about the look Danny on Danny's face, made him feel like he was missing something. He decided not to push the matter further and gave Danny a big grin, "So the way I see it, your fight with that freak show doesn't have to be a big deal. You didn't get caught so no harm, no foul and...you also proved me wrong."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Danny asked bemused.  
  
"Yeah you're a do-gooder dork sometimes, but you _do_ have a spine and a mean right hook." Dash said laughing. Danny just looked at him before chuckling right along with him. When the two finally settled down, they found themselves in front of the local diner.  
  
"Hey I'm kinda hungry after all that chick watching, let's go to get burgers." Dash said.  
  
The two made their way inside and found an empty booth near the jukebox. They both picked up a menu and looked at all the tempting selections. Danny looked up from the top of his menu at the fun atmosphere around him. He recognized most of the people inside from school and couldn't help but smile at the interesting sight they made. A nearby waitress saw them and quickly set down someone else's order before walking toward them.   
  
"Hi there, are you two ready to order?" the young girl asked in a friendly tone. She took out a pad and pencil to take their orders.   
  
"Yeah can I have a cheeseburger and some fries?" Danny said. The waitress nodded and wrote his order down. "Oh and a chocolate milkshake."  
  
"Sure thing, what about you?" she said turning her attention to Dash.  
  
Danny looked at the blonde seeing a strange glint in his eyes as he stared at their waitress. With a smirk he moved his hands in front of Dash's face, "Earth to Dash."  
  
Dash finally snapped out of it and blushed in embarrassment. Danny couldn't help but laugh as he realized the waitress was blushing with him. He looked between the two with a smirk and waited for what they would do next.  
  
The waitress cleared her throat, "What can I get for you?"  
  
A smoky blue mist escaped Danny's mouth just as Dash was about to say his order. With a gasp he looked around him to find the ghost. Nothing inside the diner seemed out of the ordinary, so that meant it had to be outside. Sure enough a strange pirate ghost was causing a rampage near the bank. He slid out of the booth and quickly stood up.  
  
"What's wrong Fenton?" Dash asked in surprise.  
  
"I just gotta go do something really quick, but I'll be back before the food gets here." he said distractedly. He maneuvered his way around the other customers and out the door. As he ran outside he bumped into his two best friends.  
  
"Hey Danny! You want to go grab a bite with us?" Tucker said smiling. He and Sam were back from their date at the zoo. Normally he would have teased them, but right now he had a crisis on his hands.  
  
"No time you guys. I gotta go stop a ghost at the bank." He said quickly.  
  
"We'll go with you." Sam said. Danny nodded in response and looked around for somewhere to transform.

* * *

"Does your friend always do that?" the waitress asked smiling.  
  
"Yeah he's kinda of a flake sometimes," Dash giving her a broad smile in return. "but he's a cool guy."  
  
"I see. Well what can I get for you?" she asked him for the third time.   
  
"Your number." Dash replied boldly. She laughed and gave him a coy smile in return. "Ok, I'll settle for knowing your name."  
  
"The name I can do," she said smiling, "it's Sandra, Sandra Perkins."  
  
End of Chapter 9  
  
Author's Notes:   
  
1) Just in case I get attacked for it, **no I have nothing against Sailor Moon fans**. That girl is a description of a friend of mine who dresses like that and claims it's because she's too cool to be mature. lol  
  
2) So yeah quite the small rumble that was between Griffith and Danny. Anyone care to make bets on who would've won if Dash hadn't interfered? hehehe. :)  
  
3) Thanks for reading the update! Please review!  
  
_Spider's Shout Outs:  
(because I'm too poor to buy you all souvenirs)_

**Dela the Hidden: **Hey there! Yeah a wasted Danny is cool and you know that a lap dancing one is even cooler, ;) , but alas this is a pg-13 fic..._for now_. Yay, you called me _Spidey_! I dunno I just like that nickname a lot, lol. I thought it was kinda obvious who that girl is. After reading your reviews I know you can definitely figure out who she is. ;-D Thanks for the review!

**Leanie**: Hey! ::cheers:: Yay, another review! Hehehe, I'm glad you enjoyed reading this chapter and thought it was cute. I hope that you'll dig this one even more. Thanks again for the nice review!

**Ranma Higurashi**: Hey again! Yeah poor Danny, but that's going to nothing if Dash ever prings those pictures and shows them around school. _That_ will be just a massacre. lol. At any rate, I hope you liked this chappie update! Thanks for the review!

**Kayu Silver**: Hello again _groovy_ reviewer! lol, I understand what you mean. My parents thought something was wrong with me because I chuckled most of the time I wrote that chapter. As I mentioned earlier I have found a way to upload this chapter and I hope this is somewhat on time. hehehe, thanks for the too cool review! :)

**What the G stands for**: Awesome! I got another new reviewer and one that has a dope pen name at that. :-) Can I know what the G stands for? lol. ::Spidey waves around some delicious tamales and enchilidas fresh from the stove:: Hehehe, I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hopeyou like the next one. Thanks for the cool review!

**KimuraSato**: Hello 'ello! Danny and digital cameras don't mix either, lol. Yeah it's a good thing he didn't open up his yap about that, but I think if he did Dash would keep it on the downlow...that is if Dash even believed him. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter that was chock full of more Dash and Danny moments. Thanks for the awesome review!

**Katy Kreger**: Hey girl! Actually it's a long list of them and I plan to e-mail ya about it soon and I hope you do the same. :-) I'm glad you're still digging this fic! Thanks for the cool direct e-mail review!


	10. The Treacherous Tango

Disclaimer: I was on e-bay last night and the copyrights for Danny Phantom were up for auction. After a intense bidding war I lost to some guy named Butch Hartman. Not cool.

Author's Notes: Hey there fellow netizens! After a speeding ticket, car sickness, rain, 7 gas runs, and one crappy hotel later, I am finally back from my cool trip. I didn't have enough money to buy you guys souvenirs, so I figured writing this extra long update would be ok? ::Spidey says looking hopeful:: Anyway, enjoy! :)

Chapter 10: The Treacherous Tango

The bus full of football players was a buzz with laughter, chatter and the occasional prank. Derek could hear the quiet snickers coming from Kwan and Jason as they took a picture of the water boy asleep with a jockstrap on top of his head. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight a peaceful and unsuspecting Wally made. When he turned to see what his coach would do, he was met with a glimpse of the older man falling asleep as well. Coach Higgins's trademark baseball cap was covering his face and Derek could faintly hear the light snoring.

The sound of deep laughter turned his attention back to his teammates. Dash high-fived Kwan for the stunt and nudged Danny to look. The brunette turned bored eyes in Wally's direction, before laughing guiltily at the other boy. Derek was glad to see the freshman starting to cheer up. It wasn't Danny's fault they lost the game and in Derek's opinion they would have lost anyway. There was no way they could have caught up against the Grayburg Huskies. A score of 13-27 did not a comeback make. Either way the freshman made it clear that due to his fumble in the third quarter, he blamed himself for a part of their loss.

Derek noted that his teammates took the defeat surprisingly well, but they all knew that next week Coach Higgins was going to kill them at practice. _'Ah well, Monday's too far ahead and I'm too tired to care.'_ he thought. He made himself more comfortable and was glad he'd managed to sit by himself.

Suddenly a yell of disgust could be heard followed by a round of laughter. Derek didn't have to look to know Wally had discovered his _gift_. It did surprise him however, when he saw the garment fly overhead only to land somewhere else. Kwan could be heard guffawing loudly with the other and making jokes about the airborne underwear.

To his surprise, he suddenly heard the distinct sound of Danny chuckling. He slowly sat up and looked directly at the source which was only a few seats away. He looked on in amusement as Dash was talking enthusiastically about something that kept making Danny laugh. He couldn't help but laugh quietly along with the freshman at the eccentric gestures and crazy faces the blonde kept making. _'Maybe aliens have come down to earth to abduct the old one and deposit a nicer, goofier and less annoying clone,' _ he thought. He watched their easy banter carefully and a smirk soon appeared on his face, _'Or maybe Danny's done more to Dash than he realizes.'  
  
_

* * *

Danny let a small sigh as he let the shower's hot spray envelope his bruised and tired body. The water slowly eased the tension out and relaxed him. He turned around and placed both the palms of his hands flat against the blue tiles. He rotated his head twice before leaning his forehead against the flat surface as well. He remembered tonight's game with melancholy and closed his eyes in deep thought. As he reflected on the events of the game he was unaware of the pair of eyes on him.

The game had been nothing short of a disaster to him. It wouldn't have been as frustrating and confusing, if the Huskies had been the only thing he had to deal with. It really was idiotic to let his guard down and he should have expected the sudden appearance of his wayward enemy. It had happened so spontaneously that he almost thought he was going crazy. The ball was hiked to Dash and like a command, Danny plowed through various players to get far enough away. He ran forward while looking back at Dash in case the pass was thrown at him.

The unexpected appearance of his ghost sense threw him off and he looked back at Dash almost as if he was in slow motion. A fully cloaked Griffith floated above the blonde ready to strike. He called out Dash's name out loud in alarm and thus the ball was thrown to him. In his distraction he completely missed it and was instead tackled by two of the other team's players. The feeling of pain brought him back to reality and he shoved the other boys off him to stand up.

The sound of his name being called caught his attention and to his surprise he saw Dash standing a few feet away from him. A little dirty, very much annoyed at him, but otherwise Dash was relatively fine. Before the blonde could even utter a word at him, Kwan caught Danny's attention and told him that Coach Higgins wanted to switch him with Derek.

Sitting at the bench and watching the game from afar, he could only watch helplessly as Griffith kept reappearing throughout the game. Danny knew the older boy was taunting him by making it so that only he could see Griffith. He had to grit his teeth and watch as Griffith caused all sorts of pranks on his teammates. Eventually Griffith stopped altogether and had the nerve to stand right in front of him laughing. Before Danny could make a grab at him, his coach grabbed him and sent him back in the game.

Nothing good came of his participation in the rest of the game and somewhere down the line Griffith mysteriously disappeared. He got on their bus feeling depressed and worried over the disturbing appearance. His curiosity was eating him up and no matter what explanations he came up with, none of them seemed to pan out completely. Derek noticed his expression and asked him what was wrong. In his distraction he almost told the truth, but he caught himself in time to say that he just felt bad about the game.

Derek dispelled any negative thoughts concerning his performance and joked about their loss was a "team effort". Neither he nor Danny expected the sudden agreement from Dash. The blonde boy spoke as he made his way toward Danny and claimed they were jinxed from the start so there was nothing Danny could have done. The strange logic of his words made Derek laugh aloud from where he sat. Dash was quickly called to sit towards the back of the bus by Kwan and some of the other boys, but he declined the offer and instead plopped down right next to Danny.

Danny let out another sigh as he remembered his conversation with Dash. Dash made so many references to the other good things he'd done, that Danny quickly reassured Dash that he didn't feel _that_ bad about the game. It was after this that Dash asked if there was something else bothering him, but he chose to stay quiet instead. He couldn't very well say that he was worried about a ghost Griffith attacking Dash during the game, unless he wanted to be thought of as crazy.

A small tension fell between them and Danny saw the saw a slightly hurt look on Dash's face before it was quickly covered up. It surprised him that his silence affected Dash that way and he realized that the other boy must have felt like Danny didn't trust him. During the weeks they became friends, Dash had slowly but surely come to trust Danny. Danny felt the effect greatly when he was around Dash and it touched something inside of him to know that the blonde trusted him enough to tell Danny his secrets. It made sense that Dash would feel annoyed by seeing Danny not bestow the same trust.

It was a welcome relief when Dash touched his shoulder to point out to him the ensuing prank on Wally the water boy. He laughed along with the rest of his teammates, but made an effort to renew their earlier conversation with a new topic about the homecoming dance. It put him at ease to see Dash talk earnestly about the school event and it turned his thoughts back to his challenge. With the dance less than a few weeks away, Danny was starting to get desperate towards finding Dash's true love.

Danny heard and laughed at Dash's recounts of his past dance experiences. It was interesting to know Dash's point of view about their last dance and he pretended not to believe Dash's claims of seeing a purple dragon and white-haired boy fighting. He casually worked in his question about who Dash was going to take to the dance and felt disconcerted to find out that Dash still hadn't found a date.

Now as he stood under the shower, washing away the stench of defeat, he wished he could just as easily wash away his worries. With less that 35 days before his challenge was over, Danny was more anxious than ever to find a girl for Dash. For all his efforts, in one way or another, none of them seemed quite right and it didn't help that the blonde was noticeably picky.

At school there were obviously a lot of girls willing to go out with Dash. The problem was that they saw Dash as a symbol of status and would only hook up with him to increase their popularity. Dash didn't need that, especially right now. Dash needed someone that could understand him, listen and talk to him, someone that could get past the mean and stubborn exterior to find the loyal and friendly guy inside. He admitted that sometimes Dash wasn't overly bright and could be too impulsive at times, but Danny had come to understand the underlying subtleties of his actions. _'Where am I going to find the girl that likes Dash the way I do?'_

It hit him a second later, but the effect was immediate. His eyes opened in surprise at the random thought. It didn't sit right in his mind and sounded almost wrong. '_The way that I do?'_ he thought confused. '_I like Dash a lot, but he's just my friend. Sure, he's fun to spend time with and talk to...and he's a great guy once you get to know him, but I don't like Dash in **that** way. No reason to get weird about it. I like Dash, but I don't like-like him. Right now I should be worried about finding the girl that can love him, not about my own stupid feelings...which are purely platonic.'_

He was literally snapped out of his thoughts by a sharp sting on his back. He cried out in surprise and quickly turned around to find a naked Derek near him. The Hispanic boy grinned in triumph and twisted the white towel again to strike.

Danny raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "Why'd you do that?"

"If I were you dude, I wouldn't stand like that in a guys public shower," Derek said with laughter.

Danny looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and confusion that made Derek laugh even harder. The older boy tried to stifle his laughter as best he could and looked around him to make sure they were relatively alone in this aisle of the shower stalls. Most of the other boys had already left the other aisles, but there were still a few on the opposite side showering.

Before Danny could retort, Derek came closer to Danny and quietly said, "Hey D.F. can I ask you a question and you won't freak out on me?"

Danny was caught by surprise at the sudden question and forgot what he was going to say. He nodded his head and warily asked, "Is it something serious?"

Derek was about to reply, but thought better of it and merely said, "Not really, just promise that you won't freak out."

To stop the unnecessary suspense Danny quickly replied, "Yeah I promise, just spit it out already."

Derek smiled and whispered, "D.F. are you gay?"

"What?!" Danny exclaimed in shock. Derek looked at him annoyed and looked back to see some of the other boys giving them weird looks.

"You promised you weren't going to freak out," Derek whispered vehemently.

"You said it wasn't serious," Danny countered.

"Because it's _not_, it's just a question." Derek replied. "So are you or aren't you?" he asked expectantly.

Danny quickly replied, "No, I'm not."

"Really? Are you sure you're not at least bisexual or something?" Derek asked hopefully. Danny looked at him completely uncomfortable and quickly turned off the shower. Derek realized what the other boy was thinking and stopped him from walking off. Danny moved to sidestep him, but Derek stood in front of him again.

Danny couldn't believe this was happening and said, "Look Derek you're my _friend_ and I like you as a _friend_. I don't care if you're gay or anything, but I don't see you in that way and-"

Derek's sudden laughter interrupted his rambling and made Danny even more uneasy. The older boy finally stopped long enough to say, "I wasn't asking for _me_, dude, I was asking for _someone else_. Heh, trust me I'm straight as an arrow." His rich laughter resounded throughout the shower stalls. If they hadn't been noticed before, they certainly were now.

Derek walked out of the large room smiling and Danny followed after him thoroughly confused. They each were handed a towel by Wally and Danny quickly wrapped his around his waist. He followed after Derek, anxious to know what the other boy meant, but was so distracted that he crashed into someone else. Danny looked up to see that it was a boy named Jack Minamoto, who was one of the running backs for their team. He quickly apologized to the taller boy and made his way toward his locker aisle where Derek was already getting dressed.

"Are you telling the truth?" Danny asked Derek abruptly.

Derek met his fierce gaze and replied, "I'm dying if I'm lying." Before Danny could say another word, Derek sighed and said "The walls have ears D.F. I think it's better if we talk once we're outside."

Derek turned back to his locker and dressed in silence. Danny sighed in defeat and opened up his own locker to get dressed as well. He soon realized he had dressed faster than he usually did and attributed it to his growing curiosity. Finally the sophomore finished dressing as well and the duo made their way out of the locker room. Once they were finally outside, the two found a nearby bench on the side of the gym.

After making sure no one was around them, Derek finally spoke "Danny I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable with my stupid question, but I promised the guy I'd at least find out for him. I didn't think you'd get as tweaked as you did, but I forgot that not everybody in this town is cool with gay people."

"No, it's not that...you just threw me off, that's all." Danny shifted in his seat and then awkwardly said, "So a guy has a crush on me...never thought I'd say those words."

Derek chuckled and said, "Must be pretty weird huh?"

"Weird is an understatement," Danny replied. "Can I at least know who it is?"

Derek raised an eyebrow at him, "I thought it was obvious." At the blank look Danny gave him, he shook his head, "Man you really are thick aren't you? I didn't agree with it when Dash joked about it, but I'm starting to think the dude has a point."

"Wait, it's Dash?" Danny asked, unable to stop his voice from cracking. A strange feeling arose inside of him and his mind went a mile a minute as he tried to remember times when Dash would have hinted at this.

Derek's other eyebrow rose in confusion and he replied, "Dash? Well for all I know maybe _he_ does too, but he's not the one I was asking for."

Danny looked at him with relief and half-smiled at Derek's words. Inside he felt a small feeling of regret, which he quickly clamped down. He gave himself a mental shake for his ridiculous thoughts and felt stupid for getting so roused up.

Derek smiled as he said jokingly, "That would be something though wouldn't it? If big bad Dash Baxter was as gay as purple unicorns and pink cleats, and had a thing for you." Danny laughed with him and felt strangely at ease to hear the absurdity of the statement aloud.

"I wish I could tell you who it is so that you'd know, but the bastard swore me to secrecy." Derek said apologetically.

Danny quickly reassured him, "It's ok, I'm not interested anyway." The look in Danny's eyes emphasized his words.

"Don't worry dude, I'll give him the message. Anyhow D.F. I gotta head off before my dad comes looking for me in that junky old truck of his. I'll see ya later man." Derek said smiling. He got off the bench and grabbed his gym bag, ready to head home and get some well deserved sleep.

"Hey wait," Danny said grabbing Derek's shoulder. The older boy looked at him expectantly albeit tiredly.

"Do you wanna have lunch with me and my friends at the diner tomorrow? We were gonna go there and then hang out at the mall afterwards." Danny said looking hopeful.

Derek stopped to consider the offer and smiled as he said, "It sounds like a cool plan for a Saturday, I'm game. See ya at noon D.F." Derek waved at Danny once before continuing the short walk home.

"Yeah, laterz, D.S." Danny said over his shoulder. He walked in the opposite direction and looked for a place where he could transform to fly off.

When his ghost sense suddenly appeared, he dropped his gym bag and slowly surveyed the area around him. After a few minutes of looking and finding nothing, he was starting to grow more nervous. The distant sound of yelling caught his attention and he realized it was coming from the girl's gym ahead of him. He gathered his things and quickly ran off toward the building. Danny yanked open the door and was met with the shocking sight of Griffith on top of an unmoving Dash.

Some of the nearby exercise equipment was askew and the two looked so disheveled that Danny assumed what had happened. Griffith turned his attention to Danny and looked at him with anticipation. He languidly got off of Dash and gracefully stood up to his full size.

"Took you long enough, ghost mutt. I was beginning to think you were stone deaf." Griffith said with a smirk. "Don't worry though, you're just in time to pick up the broken pieces of the meathead."

"Why did you attack him?" Danny asked angrily. Without even waiting for Griffith's answer he went ghost and charged forward to attack Griffith. Griffith had anticipated this and used his powers to send an energy blast right at Danny. It hit the younger boy dead on and sent him crashing on the floor.

"Attack him? Look Danny _Phantom,_" Griffith said condescendingly, "animals attack, I on the other hand harass, assault or...hurt whatever. In any case I didn't harm him, this time."

"Right you expect me to believe that?" Danny said indignantly. He picked himself up and his hands turned green as he prepared to fire a blast right back at Griffith.

"I really don't care what you believe you twerp, the truth of the matter is that I was protecting the meathead," Griffith replied heatedly.

"Protecting him from what?" Danny asked skeptically. Suddenly he heard a loud roar followed by the ground shaking beneath his feet.

"From _that_," Griffith said as he pointed behind him.

Danny slowly turned around before coming face to face with a large ghost spider. It roared once more and stomped ever closer toward Danny. Danny slowly backed up until his back hit a wall. The ghost spider spat out a stream of green goo from it's mouth heading directly for Danny. Before the goo could hit him however, Griffith pushed him out of the way and the two crashed onto the floor. Danny watched as the goo turned into acid and disintegrated the spot he'd been standing in.

"I forgot to mention, its webbing is ectoplasmic acid." Griffith said as he stood up.

"You saved me?" Danny asked him in surprise. Griffith quickly hauled him up just as the spider sent another barrage of goo at them.

Griffith maneuvered his way around and panted out, "Don't put too much into this, we're under a contract remember?" He and Danny continued to run and dodge the spider's spit attacks. None of their ghost blasts seemed to affect it at all.

"Under a contract?" Danny yelled as he vaulted away from another attack. No matter what he did he couldn't get close enough to hit it.

"Yes, didn't you read the fine print?" Griffith said as he slid across the floor and narrowly avoided another attack.

"There was fine print?" he said confused. Griffith gave him a disbelieving look before the two dodged yet another goo stream.

"One of the terms in the contract is that I can't physically kill you two until you fail the challenge or the allotted time is up. At the same time, because the two of you are my stupid assignments, I can't let anyone or anything else kill you. Kind of like the pleasure's all mine." Griffith said smirking.

"Great," Danny replied sarcastically.

"Hey ghost dork, I have an idea. You run off that way and distract lady eight legs here and I'll summon my scythe. If there's anything that can get rid of this bug, it's my scythe." Griffith said imploringly.

Danny nodded and used his powers to fly off in the opposite direction. He spun and dodged the midair attacks and saw the strange light glowing behind the spider ghost. All of a sudden the spider roared in pain and Danny saw Griffith holding on tightly to his scythe that was lodged deep inside the spider's abdomen. Griffith finally got a firm grip on it and pulled it out. When he did a strange barrier formed around the spider and prevented it from moving.

"Well what are you waiting for hero?" Griffith said addressing him. "Unless you want to wait for a cleaning team to get rid of that thing, use that ridiculous contraption of yours."

"Contraption?" Danny asked him, puzzled.

"Yes, the device that is activated by your powers. You know, that thing you capture ghosts in." Griffith said impatiently.

"Oh, you mean the Fenton Thermos." Danny said as he flew towards his forgotten gym bag. He rummaged through it and grinned in triumph when he found it. He opened it up and used his powers to make it work. The ghost spider roared again as it was swallowed up. When it was gone, Danny closed the thermos and heard the usual beep.

He heard a distant groan and realized Dash was probably coming to. Griffith changed back into his normal clothes and breathed a small sigh of relief. He looked over at Danny and said in a bored tone, "If it's all the same to you halfa, we'll continue our never-ending battle tomorrow. Right now I have a lot of paperwork to do and I have to get this stupid gym fixed before anyone notices. I'll leave the meathead to you and don't worry, by time he opens up his eyes he won't remember a thing."

Danny was about to give him a begrudging thanks, but knew the other boy wouldn't accept it and probably say something snide in return. He watched as Griffith used his powers to phase through a wall. Another groan caught his attention and Danny saw that Dash was sitting up now. He made his way over to Dash and bend down in front of him.

"Dash, are you okay?" he asked in concern. Dash held a look of bewilderment on his face as he looked at Danny.

"Whoa, it's you." Dash said in awe. For some reason Dash closed his eyes and pinched his arm. He quickly opened them again and Danny could see the amazement dancing in the dark blue eyes. "Holy cow, I wasn't hallucinating...you're really here."

Danny raised an eyebrow at his strange words. Before he could say anything, Dash fired different questions at him, "Dude, who _are_ you? How did you get those powers? Why is your hair white?"

_'White?'_ Danny thought. His eyes widened in realization and he smacked his forehead in aggravation. Out of all the stupid things he could have done tonight, being in his alter ego form in front of Dash had to be the worst one.

End of Chapter 10

Author's End Notes: Yeah I know, what a ghetto cliffhanger. Anyway I'd like to apologize times a thousand for taking so long to update this. Next time I'm going on a road trip I should anticipate "life's roadblocks" and plan ahead for the things that will make me late. Anyway, thanks for reading this long chapter and not clicking your back buttons, lol. Please be nice, be mean, be constructive or be funny, simply review! :)

_ Spider's Shout Outs  
(because the world needs a spider yelling through a megaphone)_

**?????????????????????**: Hello Mr. E! Get it? Hehehe. :-D yes I know it's a lame joke. Anyhow, here's is the UPDATE on the heroic halfa boy and his soon-to-be-lover, lol. Anyway, I'm glad you like my fic and I hope you dug his new update. Thanks for the "mysterious" review! :)

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**AbeoUmbra**: Hey it's you again, long and challenging review gal! lol, the small digital camera hints will only serve a much later and embarrassing purpose. Danny? Clueless?...yup. :-) Never assume anything about an add-in, especially one as harmless as Sandra Perkins. ::winks innocently:: I hope you liked the update and thanks again for the long review!

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**Katy Kreger**: Hey homegirl! I keep forgetting to send you an e-mail with what you asked earlier and with some interesting links I found. lol, not a lot mind you, but might help. Hope you dug the chappie update! Thanks for the dope review!

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**Ranma Higurashi**: Hey! lol, you're a vote for Danny. ::Spidey puts a mark on Danny's side of the tally sheet:: Don't glare at Sandra Perkins, yet. ;) Hehehe. I think you said it best in your last review and to be honest, you were the one that motivated me to write this. I know this prelude to the Dash/Danny action might suck (big time), but I figured it's at least a start. :) I hope you like the update! Thanks for the cool review! :-)

**ZAGRH8R**: Hey there! I'm glad you like my story and still kept reading it despite the lack of romance lol. There have been rare occasions when writing this fic that I have to restrain myself from plunging head first into obvious Danny/Dash love. Hehehe, looks like I didn't hold myself back in this chapter huh? Anyway...you have a Danny/Vlad humor fic? Wicked, I gotta check it out sometime. I hope you liked this chapter and thanks again for the awesome review!

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**Kayu Silver**: Hello, 'ello! Well that's a vote for Griffith. ::Spidey says in a whisper. She puts a mark on Griffith's side of the tally sheet:: A good writer never reveals her sources for information, lol jk! While I'd like to say that I'm a dancing goddess (pfft, yeah right), the truth is that I get help with selecting the dance names. There's a website I go to that has an alphabetical list of different types of dances. There I learn about what the dance is like and if I think it's style reflects the mood of the chapter I'm writing then that's the one I pick. Lol, well I hope that answered your question and I hope you liked this chappie update! Thanks for the nice review!

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**KimuraSato**: Hello again! Lol, an impulsive Danny is a Danny that just might have more fun. ;) I think you're the third person that's mentioned something about Sandra in their review, but there's nothing really to it. Dash is a guy, he has needs and the right to ask a chick her number, so it doesn't have to be a big deal. ::Spidey smiles innocently, but knows KimuraSato is probably not buying it:: I hope you like this Sandra-free chapter. Domo arigato, KimuraSato! Sorry couldn't help myself, but I really do appreciate the cool review!

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**What the G stands for**: Hey there! Hehehe, I guess I'll never know what it stands for, but you can bet your socks that I have three guesses. ::smiles:: Anyway, I'm delighted that you're digging the story thus far. I think this chapter definitely has more associative Dash/Danny action than the others. I hope you liked it and thanks for the killer review! :-)

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**Dela the Hidden**: Hey, it's my fic psychic! Lol, you're the one that makes me curse aloud because you guess or mention things that I plan to do. (Probably cause I'm obvious) ::Spidey puts another mark on Griffith's side of the tally sheet:: With your vote, Griffith pretty much wins the score. I wouldn't call it a liking, more like a...hormonal driven interest, which means that Danny doesn't have anything to be jealous about...::cough:: for now ::cough:: :) Oh no, ask away. I like when reviewers ask questions, keeps it fun. Awesome, I actually make someone happy with my fic! (Although because it took me so long to update, you might not be feeling that right now) Well I hope you liked the update anyway and thanks for the great review!


	11. The Bumbling Ballet

Disclaimer: Ok so I was conducting yet another experiment with the space time continuum and it turns out that in an alternate dimension I actually own Danny Phantom (too bad that in this dimension I don't.)

Author's Apology/Notes:

To all my readers, I am so sorry that I took so long to update. If the big guy upstairs had seen it fit to stop me from updating then I would understand, but the fact that it was my parents just surprises me. Needless to say that the reason that I couldn't update on Saturday was that my folks wanted to leave ON Saturday so I didn't even get the chance to touch my computer and upload this before I was carted off from my home to this…interesting new city. Lol, my life and this fic will have to continue from here. The worst part was that I didn't even get real internet access until today.

So without further ado, for better or for worse here it is to my handful of loyal readers. The 11th chapter of this fic. Tada, hehehe. I honestly hope you guys like it and that it was "worth" the wait. One thing I must mention is that the description of Dash's home is different from the one in the actual show, but please work with me here, lol. Enjoy!

Chapter 11: The Bumbling Ballet

Danny cleared his throat and lowered his voice as he spoke, "Well I can see that you're going into be ok so I'll just be going now." He moved to stand up, but was quickly pulled back down by Dash. Danny was held in place by the unexpected action and his gaze met Dash's determined one.

"Hold on, you didn't answer my questions," Dash said firmly.

Danny managed to loosen Dash's strong grip on him and sarcastically replied, "Look Dash, I really have to get going so if you could let go of me that'd be really great."

"Wait a minute, how do _you_ know my name?" Dash asked suspiciously. Danny realized his mistake and sighed in frustration. His brow furrowed slightly in annoyance and he chose not to answer the question. Dash's eyes implored him to say something, but soon the blonde realized it was to no avail.

Dash pushed him away and stood up on shaky legs. Danny tried to help him up, but Dash batted his hands away and said, "Leave me alone." Danny watched as Dash walked a few feet away from him before suddenly stopping. The blonde turned his head to look at Danny and said, "You know the least you could have done was tell me your stupid name…at least then I'd know who to thank for saving me from…whatever it is that trashed the gym."

"That's not true, you can thank me without it, so why do you need to know so badly?" Danny asked earnestly.

"Because," Dash replied stubbornly.

"Because what?" Danny asked insistently.

"Because ever since I first saw you I think I've been going nuts. I mean it's not everyday you see some guy flying around in spandex and fighting off creepy monsters." Dash said indignantly. The harsh gaze softened slightly as he continued, "And you just seem so…familiar. It's like I already know you or something."

Danny's eyes widened in surprise and he unconsciously moved away from Dash after hearing the strange admission. _'Maybe I should start wearing a mask,'_ he thought. He briefly saw the flustered look on Dash's face before the other boy turned away from him. His mind turned over the pros and cons of answering the errant question before he finally settled on an answer that he knew he'd probably regret later.

He took a step closer to Dash and in the same deep voice said, "I can't tell you who I am." Before Dash could interject, he hastily continued "So for now just call me Da-David, David Phantom."

Inside he winced at his lame choice in a pseudonym, but it seemed to satisfy a part of Dash's curiosity. He watched as Dash completely turned around to face him and he felt strangely pleased to see the slow smile appearing on the blonde's face.

"Hn, _David Phantom_? Well I guess it's better than nothing," Dash said smiling. His dark blue eyes reflected his curiosity and he finally asked, "So that night at the dance, you were that dude that was flying around and fighting that dragon thing weren't you?"

Danny bit his lip before hesitantly replying, "Yeah, that was me."

"Cool, so are you like some mutant superhero or something?" Dash asked eagerly.

"No, sort of…it's complicated," Danny said as he scratched the back of his head. "Let's just say that if you ever see me it's because someone needs help."

The look of childish fascination on Dash's face made a small smile come to his own. For a moment Danny's eyes roamed away from the blonde and looked up at the gym clock to see that it was 9:26. If he didn't leave soon he was going to miss his curfew and have a whole new set of problems. In his distraction he didn't notice Dash moving to stand right in front of him. When he turned his attention back to the blonde, he was surprised to find himself face to face with him.

Dash sighed aloud before he spoke, "Thanks for saving me…_David Phantom_." Dash's smirk grew as he put out his hand expectantly.

The smile on his face was genuine as he shook Dash's hand, "Don't mention it..._Dash Baxter_."

Danny felt the heat of Dash's hand through his suit and felt a brief shock travel up his arm at the contact. His eyes suddenly shone with concern however as Dash suddenly let go of his hand. Danny watched as Dash groaned loudly and held his head in pain. Dash fell forward on his knees before falling on the ground and curling up into a ball. Danny immediately went at his aid and tried to see what was wrong. All he saw was Dash wincing every now and then.

"Dash, what's wrong? Dash!" Danny yelled in alarm.

"My head, something's wrong with my head." Dash said gratingly. He closed his eyes and instantly his mind flashed different images at him.

_As the fire's smoke surrounded him, his loud coughing was echoing loudly against the walls, every breath he took was more deadly than the next._

_He kept running and came upon the sight of his unconscious mother, but not matter how loudly he yelled at her to wake up, she still remained in her state of slumber._

_He picked up his mother and quickly ran to the door, but before he could reach it the chilling sound of someone's laughter ran loudly in his ears._

_He turned around and in front of him stood the hazy form of someone dressed in a cloak, yet he couldn't see the other person's face._

_He held his mother protectively as he crashed into the window and landed in a heap on the ground. His body hurt like hell, but at least his mother was safe._

_His vision was growing blurry as he laid there unmoving, but he slowly turned his head in time to see it. The strange boy with the white hair was fighting the cloaked figure and struggling to protect them._

Dash suddenly woke up with a loud gasp. His breath came out in pants as he placed a shaky hand to his forehead. His eyes widened slightly when he felt the sweat on his brow. _'What was that? It felt so real…like it was a memory or something,'_ he thought. He placed a hand on his heart and felt the rough cloth underneath his fingers. His brow furrowed in confusion as he looked down and realized that despite already being in bed, he was still wearing his regular clothes.

The sound of his curtain billowing out caught his attention and his apprehension grew because he never left his window open like that. With trepidation he slipped out of bed and quickly walked towards the window. He didn't know what to expect as he looked out into the darkness, but the only sight that greeted him was that of his quiet neighborhood. He looked down at his lawn and saw that none of his mother's lawn figurines were disturbed nor was there anyone in the tall tree that was next to his window.

He looked up at the night sky and saw that the moon was full tonight. _'What's going on? One minute I'm right in front of that guy and talking to him and the next I wake up on my bed, but I'm still fully dressed? Was I really just dreaming?'_

He felt the wind ruffle his hair slightly and his face became suspicious. _'That doesn't make sense and I know he really was there…which means he must have brought me home.'_ His eyes widened in realization as he thought, _'He knows where I live and he knows my name…who is that jerk?'_

He looked back at his neighborhood uncertainly as he thought about the last thing that happened to him before he passed out. All he had done was shake David's hand, yet for some reason it had triggered one his reoccurring nightmares. Dash sighed loudly as he thought back to what happened in his horrible dream.

It was almost always the same and ended with the white-haired boy fighting against the one in the cloak. The worst part about it was that he always awoke in a cold sweat and with a big headache. As he put a hand against his left temple, it was clear that tonight was no less different.

Truth be told, the nightmare always managed to thoroughly confuse him more than actually scare him. Days after the fire, he'd managed to find Danny and swallow his pride enough to thank him. Danny had been both humble and cordial about it and had answered his questions about what happened without protest.

Danny said that after a few minutes he noticed that smoke was coming from one of the side windows and realized that the house was on fire. When he tried to open the door he found it locked and in his desperation had used his scooter to break the window down and get inside to rescue them. One of Dash's neighbors had most likely phoned for the fire department.

With Danny's account of that day set so firmly in his mind, it only led to nights where he'd wake up in this state of restless confusion. His dream made no sense and no matter what he tried it never went away for too long. Lately it had taken on the pattern of returning once every week and always seemed to come whenever he was under stress.

He had lied when he'd said that his curiosity towards David had been based purely on what happened the night of the dance. The real reason was that although the dream always left his mind with a bad mental aftertaste, it also left him with an unbending curiosity to find out more about the other boy. Whenever the other boy showed up in his dream, for a few brief seconds he felt completely safe and he forgot about the impending doom coming closer to him. It shouldn't have surprised him then that he'd had such a strange reaction towards seeing David in person.

His mind had gone a mile a minute and his instincts told him not to let David go because if he did then his inner questions would never be answered. It probably didn't matter anyway because here he was again, alone in his room with his questions still unanswered and now left with even more of them to boot. His gloomy expression softened slightly as he realized that somehow David brought him home without causing alarm with his parents. _'How did he do that anyway…? I wonder what he's doing right now…heh, he's probably fighting of some cheesy villain or something.'_

Dash laughed slightly at his own joke and was about to close the window, but after a small inner debate with himself he left it alone. He walked toward the center of his room and slowly stripped down until he was as naked as the day he was born. He went to stand in front of the mirror above his dresser and took a long hard look at himself. The haggard gaze staring back at him was hard to look at. His body was in no better shape and he had a few bruises and scars that hadn't completely faded away yet.

He was very much aware of the fact that he was considered one of the cutest boys in school, but the more he looked at himself in the mirror the more he felt like that image was miles away. He smirked bitterly at his reflection before bending down and getting an extra pair of boxers from his dresser.

A sudden rush of cold air hit his back as he changed. He jumped slightly at the sensation and he felt the hairs stand on the back of his neck. He looked around him but only saw a particularly strong breeze move the curtains. He quickly dismissed the earlier sensation and finished getting dressed. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he finally managed to settle down and get some well deserved rest. Tomorrow was another day, he could think about his situation then.

While the blonde inside rested, an invisible raven-haired boy was blushing slightly and sitting on a tree branch. Danny looked from his vantage point and let out sigh of relief to see Dash had called it a night. He put a shaky hand on his neck and rubbed at the soreness he felt there. He really was tired and using his powers like this really wasn't helping. Tonight just wasn't his night and he honestly felt this string of close calls were a bad sign.

At least he'd had enough sense to become invisible when Dash first woke up. It had been so sudden that his body's reaction was just instinctual he supposed. Then his first plan to sidestep Dash the first chance he got was foiled by Dash blocking his way. When Dash finally moved he was practically home free, that is until his eyes wandered over to the floor where Danny realized he'd left his gym bag.

Luckily for him the blonde was too busy to notice because he was undressing, so with slow and measured steps he was able to get to it without incident. At that point the quickest way out was wait until Dash was distracted enough for him to fly off and phase the bag through the wall. What he didn't plan on was the sudden sight of seeing a naked Dash standing in front of him. He'd seen Dash naked before and that was why for the life of him he couldn't understand why'd he'd so blatantly stared now.

Something about seeing the various bruises on Dash's chest and back affected him. Dash was probably unblemished once, was probably never exposed to his much physical pain before, and was probably never meant to have that agonized look on his face. A part of it was his fault, if he really had been helping Dash like he was supposed to then none of this would have happened. Unconsciously his hand had moved down to touch Dash's shoulder, but he quickly snapped out of his earlier daze. Danny blushed furiously at his slip and without much thought he desperately phased through the nearest wall.

Now he was here, panting and thoroughly embarrassed about his actions. If his powers had gone out then he would have exposed his secret, not to mention reveal that he'd been blatantly looking at a naked Dash. The blush on his face increased slightly at that last thought and he stood on the branch ready to fly home. He didn't even want to think about what he'd just done and as he looked at Dash one last time, he decided it was best to stay away from Dash, while he was in ghost mode anyway.

* * *

"Wow, you flew Dash from school all the way to his house?" Sam said amazed. 

"Yeah, why? "Danny asked earnestly.

"Think about it Danny. Usually when you use your powers for long periods of time you get really tired, but the fact that you fought off a spider ghost and a managed to fly Dash all the way home is impressive," Sam said smiling.

"And it means that you're getting better at handling your powers, "Tucker said smirking. He then asked Danny, "So did anything else happen after you left Dash at his house?"

Danny's eyes widened slightly at the question and he struggled to find words to explain it. He honestly didn't understand what happened himself, much less knew what to say to them that didn't sound so crazy. Luckily for him, a deep voice interrupted anything he had planned on saying.

"Hey D.F."

Danny looked up at the approaching sophomore and smile gratefully towards Derek's sudden arrival. His eyes roamed over to the other person standing next to him and he was surprised to see that it was, Derek's best friend Jack. The other sophomore smiled at them cordially and greeted them with a nod.

"Hey Derek, you made it. I was wondering when you'd get here." Danny said. He smiled happily at the approaching boys and scooted over to let them sit down in the circular booth.

"Yeah sorry about that. We ran into a little bit of traffic because some old lady crashed her Packard into a telephone pole," Derek said. His voice dropped some of its usual cheerfulness at the end, but he smiled again as he continued. Gesturing toward Jack he said, "I hope you guys don't mind me bringing along this doofus over here."

Without missing a beat, Jack evenly said "Yes, you'll have to excuse my sudden presence, but as Derek's human security blanket, I make sure he doesn't show how much of a loser he is."

The trio chuckled at Jack's retort and even more so at the mock withering glare he received from Derek. Danny looked over at Jack to see that the older boy was smirking at his friend. Jack must have felt his gaze because he looked up at Danny and smiled at him. Danny returned the smile and thought about the first time he ever met Jack. Derek of course had been the one to introduce him to the quiet sophomore and since then Danny held a strong respect for the other boy.

Jack was more withdrawn than the rest of his teammates and one of the best players on their team. Danny like talking to him and often found it ironic that Jack was an accomplished drummer. Despite being half-Japanese, the only feature on Jack's face that hinted at this was his jet black eyes. He watched as Jack ran a hand through his short reddish-brown hair and made it even more wild looking.

Danny turned back to his own friends and gestured toward his football buddies, "Guys this is Derek Sanchez and Jack Minamoto. Derek, Jack, these are my best friends Tucker Foley and Samantha Manson."

The four of them shook hands all around and Danny gauged all their reactions. Sam and Tucker said their respective pleasantries to the other two and soon all five of them were actively engaged in conversation.

"You're kidding me right? Zombie Hunters 3 stinks and it's so retro. Devil City 2, now that's a cool demon rpg game." Derek said to Tucker.

"Pu-leaze, Devil City 2 is so lame and some of the characters are so stupid looking it's not even funny." Tucker replied. Danny nodded in agreement.

"And that's why I feel that _Anastasia Jones_ is a movie that not only represents the bicultural conditions many of us face in this country, but it also shows the basic inner struggles that teenagers bare in their need to understand themselves and be accepted," Jack said openly.

"I totally agree, but you wouldn't believe how many people don't get that the first time they see it. They actually think it's a satire on immigrants." Sam replied avidly.

"Hey you guys," piped in a familiar voice. All of them turned to find Sandra standing there smiling. She turned to Danny and said, "So is this everyone?"

Danny smiled at her and said, "Hey Sandra, yeah this is all of them."

"D.F. where the heck are your manners? It's obvious you know this girl and you don't introduce her to us. Tisk tisk." Derek said as he smirked at Danny.

Jack rolled his eyes and said, "You're not better, you hypocrite."

Danny smiled and quickly said, "Guys this is Sandra Perkins. Dash and I met her a week ago and she moved here all the way from North Carolina." Danny then gestured back at his friends and listed off their names to her in return.

In embarrassment, Sandra quickly wiped off excess burger grease from her hands onto her apron and then shook all their hands accordingly. She gave them a small grin as she said, "It's nice to meet all of you, Danny's always telling me about how great his friends are."

She handed out a menu to each of them and took out a pad and pencil form her apron. She held it ready and looked at all of them expectantly as she said, "What drinks can I start you guys off with?"

"Yeah I'll take a beer if you have them?" asked jokingly. Sandra merely laughed and shook her head. "Fine, then I'll just take a cherry coke soda."

"Yeah and can I have a chocolate shake?" Danny said smiling at her.

"Make that two chocolate shakes," Tucker said grinning.

"I'll just have a raspberry iced tea," Sam said.

"And I'd like a strawberry shake, please." Jack said politely.

Sandra nodded slowly as she wrote down their orders and said, "Alrighty, then if that's it I'll be back in a few minutes with your drinks." She left and went behind the counter to get their order.

Their earlier conversation began anew, but this time everyone talked about what they wanted to order. Danny looked down at his own menu, but didn't feel all that hungry. He decided he'd just get a large order of fries. He looked up to see Jack staring at him. The other boy smiled and rolled his eyes suggestively over toward Derek. Danny looked over at his friend and to his surprise he found Derek blatantly staring at Sandra.

His brow furrowed slightly and a strange realization entered his mind. '_I can't let Derek make a move on Sandra, she's the only girl that Dash seems to have an interest in.'_ He knew it was a childish move, but he grabbed a sugar packet from the table and threw it at Derek's head. The sophomore snapped out of it and turned annoyed eyes at Jack, assuming that it was he who had down. Jack didn't even look up from his menu, but merely pointed in Danny's direction.

Derek looked at him in confusion, but before he could say anything Sandra returned with their drinks. She set down her tray and handed each of them their drinks. When she was done she held the tray in one of her hands like a clipboard and took out her notepad again, this time to take their food orders. Derek forgot all about Danny's previous action and turned his attention to Sandra.

After she took down all their orders, Derek looked over at Danny and asked him, "How come I've never seen her at school?"

Danny took a sip of his soda before he answered, "Because she's home schooled."

"Home schooled? Man that's gotta be the worst." Tucker said. "Home and school shouldn't mix."

"Exactly," Derek said smirking. "Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that from her personality. So did she tell you why she moved here?"

Danny looked at Derek uneasily before replying, "Yeah, her dad's a military general and about three months ago he got transfer orders to work here. I think it's that one military base they built about five years ago or something."

"James Hewlett?" Jack suggested.

Danny smiled and nodded as he said, "Yeah, that's the one."

"Well for a military brat she seems pretty mellow." Derek said truthfully. "Plus the girl's definitely a looker."

Tucker agreed but quickly shut up at the death glare Sam gave him. Jack said nothing, but noticed Danny seemed almost on edge from the comment. _'Does he like Sandra or something...? Or is he against Derek having an interest in her?'_ he thought.

End of Chapter 11

Author's End Notes: Yes I know what a weird ending, but you can expect that the next chapter will answer Jack's question and explain why Danny is going to be the world's worst matchmaker, lol. Funny scenarios, slight Danny fun, Dash will make a cameo and you'll get to know Sandra more. Hehehe, just tune in next time on GRB!

I should mention the fact that I'm going to try my hardest to update at least once every week. I think the big guy upstairs won't interfere, nor will parents so this is indeed possible. Until then tell me what you guys think about his update! Laterz! J

_Spider's Shout Outs:  
(because now I'm even farther away from you guys)_

**Raven Ghost**: Hey! Lol, sympathy for clueless Danny, yeah I think he needs it. I hope you dug this chapter, sorry that I took so long to do post it. Bad spidey, bad spidey! Thanks for the luck (I think I'll need it) and for your review!

Hey there! Hehehe, interesting point. They will definitely get some fuc-uh I mean _action_ going on later on, but things will have to speed up on "awareness" at least for Danny. Thanks for the awesome review! 

******animegurl088**: Hurray! I have a new reader! I'm glad you dug my story enough to read this far into it. Lol, I hope I did not discourage you from this story by making you wait for the next installment. :smiles unsurely: Thanks for the nice review!

******Dela the Hidden**: Hey girl:gives Dela the Hidden a bear hug: I just wanted to say thanks for keeping my mind on this story. There were a few times where I was on the brink of forgetting to upload it, but you helped to nip that in the bud. I truly am glad that I have such avid readers like you, makes it worth it to keep going. J I did want to say that Danny and Dash will be doing horizontal tango stuff later on, but not now. ;-) Lol, the spider thing was just a coincidence. To be honest I was watching an x-men: evolution episode where they were fighting a spider and that's what came to mind for a good ghost monster. Thanks for your motivating reviews and e-mails!

******What the G stands for**: Hey again! I'm glad you liked my previous chapter and I hope that you continue to dig it with the addition of this next update. As you can see, no Dash doesn't know and in fact has more secrets concerning our favorite ghost boy than thought possible. Hehehe. Thanks for the awesome review!

******KimuraSato**: Hello again! Hehehe, I think by now it's pretty obvious who wants Derek to find out if Danny is gay or not….or is it? Assuming stuff in my fic is a fickle thing sometimes, but I'm sure you'll figure it out anyway. I just like being cryptic like that, lol. And as far as Sandra goes, she will make a more active appearance soon and the role she plays is not an easy one for most girls. Thanks for the dope review! (What do those last Japanese words mean?"

******Kayu Silver**: Hello there! Lol, that's an interesting image to have and a funny one at that. I'm sorry for the delay, but I hope you still liked it and stick around for the next one. (which will be chock full of weirdness and Danny moments) Hehehe, until then just wanted to say thanks for the coolio review!

******Katy Kreger**: Hey dude! How was your camp? Fun I hope. I too have been off away from home and am now relocated to dun dun dum…a university. Well I still hope you liked my update and by the way I found a site you should try for eps but this thing won't let me post it so just e-mail me so I can give it to you. Anyway thanks for neat review!


	12. The Maverick Moshing

Disclaimer: Butch Hartman still owns "Danny Phantom", but who knows maybe one day the fans of the show will tackle him and gain control. muahahahaha I'll go organize the revolution right now. :-)

**_Author's apology for taking so long to update_**:

I, Evolutionary Spider, suck and deeply apologize for it to all of you. Personally I feel like any explanations I give you will sound like I'm bemoaning my own existence and you guys don't need to hear that. For those curious then you may ask me, no probs., but otherwise I suppose the simplest way to say it is that I was very...unlucky the past couple of months of my life and the cowpies really hit the fan. Nevertheless to the handful of readers I have had thus far and in the future, thank you very much for all the wonderful and interesting reviews. I honestly hope you guys like this chapter and the ones to come. :-)

**_Author's Warning_**: I must warn you guys that this chapter is a bit more Sandra-centric. Now before you guys boo and hiss at me, just hear me out for a second alright? I figure its high time that some of Sandra's past is revealed so her character can be better understood. I'm pretty sure this will be a chapter that will give you, more detective types, some hints to your past questions. _Also this chapter might be a bit more on the longer and angstier side than per usual._ Now that that's been said, take a load off and enjoy!

**Translations**:

omoni--- mother (korean)

aboji--- father (korean)

cojones--- slang way of saying guts (spanish)

Kyon, Yon, Jung, Sei Shin, Sei Min--- ... My friend said that these aren't real Korean names...drat, but oh well. :-)

_lllll_ blah_lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah_llllllllll_dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 12: The Maverick Moshing

_llllllllll_

The young boy looked around him, nude and confused; he realized that he was the only one in the large shower room. Shrugging pale and dirty shoulders, the boy walked to the nearest stall to take a much needed shower. As the warm spray, it soothed his tired muscles and soon his eyes widened as he smelled the air change around him. _'It smells like apples...and it's coming from the water?'_ he thought. He shook his head to clear away the ridiculous thought, believing it was only his imagination.

His eyes were closed his pleasure as the warm water cascaded down his muscular body. They quickly opened in surprise however when he felt a pair of hands suddenly touch his shoulders. Using the speed he'd gained from football, he quickly grabbed the other person and slammed them against the shower wall. His would be attacker winced in pain and it took the boy a moment to realize who it was. He immediately let go of the other person, only to have them calmly put their arms around his neck. He blushed furiously at the feel of the naked smaller body against his own and wanted desperately to push the other person away.

"_Please, stay with me. I want you just as much as you want me."_

The husky words ghosted across his neck and made his skin tingle. The other person's lithe hands brought his head down until their noses touched and a pair of light blue eyes asked him a silent question. Finally letting go of all his inhibitions, he brought their lips together in a long and passionate kiss. His own larger hands caressed the smaller body in front of him and he moaned when their hips met. _'This is so different from kissing a girl, I can't believe I'm kissing Danny Fenton.'_

_llllllllll_

The young boy awoke with a loud gasp and sat up in surprise. His loud panting echoed across the walls of his sparse room as he ran a shaky hand through his disheveled hair. His eyes widened slightly when he felt a small wetness in his boxers. He quickly pulled his covers off him and groaned at the mess he'd made in his sleep. He slowly slid out of his bed and sluggishly moved toward his bathroom to shower. _'Puberty is the root of all evil with all its unnecessary complications and it just...bites.' _

Griffith used his powers to remain invisible and leaned casually on the boy's dresser, observing the other boy with amused green eyes. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched the other boy struggle with his awkward and burgeoning feelings for Danny. Griffith had long ago realized that the quiet boy held a deep rooted crush that he kept secret from everyone except the amiable Sanchez. His fascination grew at the endless potential that would come from using the other boy's feelings to his own advantage.

Once the other boy closed his bathroom door, Griffith allowed himself to chuckle at the foolishness of teenage mortals. He used his powers to become intangible and phased through the other boy's window to fly off. As the cold air brushed against his composed face, Griffith thought back to the reaction the other boy had toward the dream induced by his powers. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction and now that he understood the extent of this boy's feelings towards Danny, it proved he would be beneficial to the first phase of his new plan. _'Round three is coming halfa and he will be the first one to kill your foolish dreams.'_

_lllll_

A warm sun shone down on the small leaf before the breeze blew it off its branch. It twirled and swirled up and around, dancing through the air until it landed softly on a head of brunette hair. The wind blew the girl's long hair and again the leaf was caught in a small whirlwind of motion. Sandra stared up and saw several leaves glide past her as they fell down from their trees, only to have the small breeze blow them away.

She turned her attention back to the group of teenagers laughing beside her and soon her own smile appeared. When Danny invited her to join them on their trip to the mall she hadn't expected the round of agreement from the rest of his friends. It was nice to know that they were at least making an attempt to befriend her, the rare action making her happy. While her father's job gave her a chance to travel to some of the most beautiful places she'd ever seen, at the same time it was very difficult to make any lasting friends.

Before they arrived to Amity Park, her father had explicitly said that they would be staying for a year, no more, no less. The news had come as a great surprise to Sandra, who kept in mind that they never stayed in any one place for longer than 8 months, nevertheless she was determined to make some friends during the little time that she was there. _'My only problem now is dealing with that weird vibe I keep getting from one of them.'_

Her hands tightened at the annoying thought that would not leave her. This place was different but otherwise safe, she was sure of it. _'This town is creepy, but in a nice way.'_ she thought, _'I can tell that the residents of Amity Park are good people, but it feels like...something doesn't belong here.'_

She looked up from her musings to see Danny laughing with Tucker as the two leaned on a telephone pole for support. Their rich laughter was louder than the more subdued chuckling of Sam and Jack. The other four were looking at Derek with interest. The Hispanic boy was animatedly telling them about last year's "secret and unholy" union, between the science club and some football players, to pull a prank against their opposing school for homecoming. Sandra listened in to the ridiculous story and watched the eccentric gestures Derek made as he talked. Soon her own laughter joined in and her earlier worries were forgotten.

They reached the park and Danny suggested they cut through to get to the mall faster. Sandra walked along the gray paved path, looking at all the beautiful and peaceful splendor around her. Tucker came into her line of vision and she noticed his sudden change in direction. The other boy smiled as he casually moved to stand beside Sam and quietly held her hand.

Sandra watched the small display of affection in surprise, _'Wow, they're going out?'_ She looked at their happy faces and slowly a grin appeared on own, _'They seem to have very different personalities, but so long as they're happy that's all that matters...and they do sort of make a cute couple.'_

Tucker suddenly looked over at Sandra which made her quickly look away lest she be caught staring. He quirked an eyebrow at the other girl before shrugging and asking her, "So Sandra tell us more about yourself, were you originally born in North Carolina?"

"Oh, actually no, I was born in Chicago, Illinois..." Sandra's voice trailed off for a moment, but she quickly added, "But I don't remember anything about my life there."

"Really, why's that?" Derek asked her curiously.

"Because a couple of months after I was born my dad got transfer papers to go to a base in South Korea…"

_llllllllll_

Richard F. Perkins happily announced to his wife Kyon that he was being promoted up one rank and being transferred to an American military base in South Korea. His wife, a Korean American herself, had been so joyously surprised that she had hugged her husband and caused them to topple over in front of baby Sandra. The little girl merely giggled at the funny sight of her parents on the floor and took them by surprise as she walked her first steps.

After getting over their initial shock, the young parents scooped up their pride and joy into their arms. Kyon hugged Sandra, feeling completely happy and at peace. She looked up at Richard seeing a proud smile on his face and understood the meaning behind it. Kyon stared back at her daughter and sadly thought, _'I hope she grows up strong over there and one day understands what she is.'_

_lllllllll_

"Wow, that must have been tough on your mom," Tucker said sympathetically.

Sandra laughed softly, "Actually my mother took it pretty well. You see she's originally from Seoul, South Korea, but her family moved when she to America when she was a three years old. She saw it as a chance to spend some time with her family and a way to expose me to the Korean culture more."

"I see so you're half Korean then?" Jack asked with interest. After Sandra nodded at him, Jack gave her a small smile as he said, "That's cool, I'm half Japanese myself, but I my mother says that the only way you can tell is if you look at my eyes."

Sandra looked into his deep jet black eyes and smiled as she said, "Oh yeah, I can see it now." Sandra paused for a moment and then added, "The way people in my district could tell I wasn't a full Korean was with my eyes." Sandra winked a green eye at him for emphasis. She saw Jack wink in return before suddenly staring at Derek's brown eyes. Sandra raised an eyebrow at the way Derek suddenly placed himself in between them.

"Anyway, so what was it like to live over there?" Derek asked, giving her a charming smile.

Sandra merely rolled her eyes in amusement at his behavior and cleared her throat before saying, "It was really cool...I had some of the best times of my life over there. My childhood was so much fun but I think to my parents it must have been incredibly tiring. My cousin and I were handful I guess, but I think the only time we really got our parents angry was this one time when we went on a family picnic..."

_llllllllll_

"Sei Shin! Sei Shin, where are you!" Kyon called out in anger and worry. She pushed her way past several thick bushes, her eyes quickly scanning the large forest area for any traces of her daughter Sandra. She and her older sister Yon had been searching for their daughters for the past half hour and Kyon was beginning to get worried.

"Min! Joo Sei Min, you come out this instant!" Yon cried aloud, her voice caring across the landscape. Although Yon's face did not show it, inside she was incredibly scared that something had happened to Sei Min and Sei Shin. _'How could such a simple thing as a picnic have turned into this? Sei Min, please take of yourself and your cousin Sei Shin until we find you.'_

"Once we find those troublesome girls, I'm going to strangle our husbands for not keeping a better watch over them," Kyon spat out furiously. Yon looked at her younger sister's face and read Kyon's true emotions, imagining her own eyes must have reflected the same. Yon strengthened her resolve and comforted her sister the only way she knew how.

"After I'm through with them, you can strangle whatever is left of those useless bums," Yon said in a firm tone. "Jung said this forest isn't dangerous since most of the animals are up north past that mountain. Don't worry Kyon, we will find our girls, no matter what."

Kyon gave her sister a grateful smile, before a serious look quickly replaced it, "I think I hear them." Kyon ran past several bushes and trees, ignoring the rough grazes that hit her arms and legs. She finally stopped when she came upon a small clearing and stood frozen in shock at the sight before her.

Yon finally caught up with Kyon and stopped next to her gasping, "Did you find them?" With a trembling finger Kyon merely pointed in front of her. Yon gave her a confused look before following her sister's gaze. The whites of her eyes appeared as Yon promptly fainted on the spot.

"Oh look Min, it's omoni and aunty Yon!" Sei Shin said with glee. Her cousin was too busy playing and giggling with the small animal to pay attention. Six year old Sandra stood up and waved at them happily, "Omoni! Look what Sei Min and I found, a baby tiger and its mother! These must be the ones that escaped from that zoo yesterday!"

Sei Min finally stopped playing with the little tiger and looked over at their mothers, "Eh? Sei Shin...why is my omoni asleep on the floor?"

_llllllllll_

"Are you serious?" Tucker asked in surprise. "You _played_ with a baby _tiger_ and its _mother_. Weren't you scared?"

Sandra gave him a nervous smile, "Um no." Sensing he was going to make an outburst she quickly continued, "But that's only because my cousin Min and I were too young to understand how dangerous it was, so now that I'm older I get freaked out when I think about it."

Her expression changed into one of annoyance as she said, "My dad turned it into the perfect way to tease me if I'm ever scared."

Sandra took a moment to adjust her face into a stern expression. She coughed once to make her voice sound lower and slowly drawled out in a southern accent, "Sandra S. Perkins, how is it that you can get so scared over of a harmless little ole mouse and not even bat an eye over a full grown tiger?" The group of teenagers chuckled a little her impression of her father. Each of them could definitely relate to her annoyance at parental nagging.

Derek, in a contemplative tone, suddenly said "Still, I wonder why the tiger didn't attack you guys. I thought most animals were wild and violent when someone's near their offspring?"

"Beasts only bare their fangs at their enemies, but they're kind and loyal to those they deem trustworthy."

Jack's offhanded remark made them turn in surprise, but the other boy was conveniently looking elsewhere. Danny looked deep in thought as he remembered his own experiences with animals, particularly with a certain ghost seeing gorilla named Delilah.

"Jack's got a point," Danny said smiling. "The tiger probably sensed that she could trust Sandra and her cousin to be around her cub." _'Just like I sense that I can trust her with Dash.'_

"Heh, either way your mom sounds like a cool lady. She didn't freak out so she's definitely got some real cojones," said Derek. He raised his hand into a fist to emphasize his point.

"Um thanks...I think." Sandra said smiling unsurely. Derek saw her smile become more forced as she slowly said, "Yeah my mom was a very special person."

"Was?" Tucker asked. His surprised expression showed he hadn't meant to voice his question aloud.

Sandra's expression told him that she didn't mind, but inside she was struggling to find a way to explain what happened without having them feel sorry for her. When things went wrong, it neither helped her nor made her feel comforted if people pitied her. She admitted that her life hadn't exactly been a picnic, but for the most part she liked how her life had turned out. In her eyes, everyday before and after that horrible day was to be cherished. In truth the only day she hated out of the entire year was June 8.

_llllllllll_

"_**And in other news tonight, an American military base off the coasts of South Korea was bombed today. Six men, whose identities are still unknown, were members of a small anti-American extremist group known as The Green Dragons. The six men were apprehended by American military forces, but not before the group bombed two of the base's main storage facilities and one of the civilian compounds located four miles south off the base's headquarters. The civilian compounds were where many of the American and South Korean soldiers' families were stationed and lived at. Among those victims of this tragedy 13, mostly women and children, were found dead at the scene with 9 others critically injured."**_

_lll_

Kyon looked over the injured people around her, feeling a bit more relieved to see that most of them were going to be alright. Some, who were more coherent, thanked her again for leading them to safety. Kyon briefly nodded at them and winced as she got up. A woman tried to stop her, saying that she had to be careful because her back injuries looked serious.

Kyon tiredly explained to the woman that she had to find her daughter. Not letting the woman respond, she quickly made her way over to the playground area near the side of their building. She saw other women crying out over their dead children and Kyon grew more desperate in her search. When Kyon finally found Sei Shin, her body gave out from exhaustion and she fell with a sickening thud. She opened tired eyes to see her daughter's prone body only a few feet away from her.

Kyon willed herself to crawl toward Sei Shin, ignoring the intense pain on her back and the blood she kept coughing up. When she finally reached Sei Shin, she shook the child slightly and checked for a pulse. After not finding one, Kyon broke down in tears and laid down on top of her daughter. Her ear pressed against where her daughter's heart was. _'Sei Shin...if your heart could beat just once, I would die happily.'_

_lll_

'_Pain...everywhere,'_ she thought fuzzily. She tried to breath, tried to think, but both seemed so hard to do. _'So dark...body hurts so much.'_ She coughed once softly and felt a sudden nausea.

Slowly she opened her eyes and blinked several times to adjust to the light. Her green eyes looked up and to her confusion she saw the blue sky being tinted by a dark gray smoke. All at once her other senses kicked in and she tried to piece together what had happened. She could hear the sounds of people crying or moaning in pain, smell something horribly disgusting burning around her, taste something metallic in her mouth and what was most strange was she felt something soft and heavy on top of her. Her eyes looked down to see what is was and when she recognized the figure above her she screamed.

"H-h-hush,...little t-tiger," her mother said in whisper. She felt her mother's soft Korean voice carry across her stomach. "For I am here now...and w-will always be...with you."

Sei Shin shivered and felt tears come her eyes. She felt her mother slowly move her arms to embrace her. Shin willed her body, her arms, her hands, anything to just move, but no matter what she did her body wouldn't respond. _'Move, move, move! I want to hug omoni, why can't I move?'_ Her mother's hoarse voice interrupted her desperate thoughts.

"Little tiger...no matter what h-happens to me...you must promise me to be strong and live...promise me Sei Shin." Kyon held her daughter tighter, feeling the life slowly drain out of her body.

"I promise omoni, but please don't die...aboji and his friends will come and save us soon." Shin said as she tried again to will her arms to move, this time with more success. After what seemed like an eternity to her, she managed to place her arms over her mother's disturbingly warm back.

"N-never doubt who you are and...live a good life Shin...I love you...and your father...very much." And with those final words, Kyon slowly closed her eyes and released her last breath.

_llllllllll_

"Yes, she was...my mother passed away a long time ago," Sandra said. She hoped her tone conveyed how she had put her mother's death to peace.Through the years she had found closure and had coped with everything that her mother had been.

The others looked at her in surprise before giving her looks of understanding and compassion. Sandra gave them a small smile in return and the group continued walking after Derek changed the subject by asking her about all the places she'd been to due to her father's job. Sandra relayed some of the details to the more interesting places she'd been too, mainly to Derek who seemed to give her his undivided attention. The two noticed Tucker and Sam were off in their own world, while Danny and Jack were having a conversation that kept making Danny flustered.

"How did she pass away?" Derek asked with a whisper.

Sandra saw the sincere gaze bore into her and looked away as she muttered, "Um...c-car accident." Inside she felt bad for lying to him, but she didn't want to explain the whole depressing experience.

Derek gave her an honest smile and said, "My mother also died because of a car accident and...I think that's why I hate drunk drivers. Don't care much if people drink, just if they're stupid enough to drive a car that way."

"Hmm, that's an interesting way to look at it...and makes it seem as if you're a person that hates specific things, not just general forms."

"Yeah, well hate is already a pretty powerful emotion and dangerous to aim at an entire concept rather than just at a clear example," Derek said looking at Sandra with a serious expression on his face. Sandra felt goose bumps crawl over her skin at the penetrating gaze. The deep brown eyes felt like they were seeing right through her.

"While I hate to interrupt staring contests, I thought I should say that _we're here_," Jack said suddenly.

Derek and Sandra both quickly looked away from each other and in front of them to see Jack's teasing expression. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Derek led the way inside the Amity Park Mall with the others behind him. Sandra stared in awe at all the shops and department stores around her, feeling her earlier tension subside.

The large group walked around for a few minutes, trying to decide on what to do first. Tucker and Derek voted for them to go to the arcade, while Jack and Sam voted to watch a movie instead. Sandra eventually confessed that she too would rather go to the arcade. Her decision earned her cheers from Derek and Tucker who claimed victory before Jack and Sam annoyingly pointed out that Danny still hadn't given his vote yet.

Danny, who had been lagging behind them, thought about what he wanted to do first. He was so lost in his thoughts that he never saw the person in front of him. Thus it was no surprise that the clumsy boy crashed smack dab into the other person and fell down with a yelp. Danny grunted in pain as the other person shifted their weight and tried to push the other person off of him.

"Geez Danny you really walked into this time," Derek said with amusement. "Well Sandra I'm sure you've met our ever graceful quarterback, Dash Baxter."

'_Dash!'_ Danny opened his eyes in surprise and looked up to find Dash looking at him in flushed annoyance. Danny looked away from the blonde's gaze and caught sight of their reflection from a nearby store window. Danny's legs were slightly open with Dash in between them. The brunette blushed in complete mortification and roughly pushed Dash off him.

Dash slowly sat up and briefly rubbed the back of his head. He looked back at Danny and said, "Geez Fenton, clumsy much?"

"Dash are you ok?" asked a familiar feminine voice.

Danny looked back at Dash and was surprised to see Paulina at the blonde's side in worry. Paulina helped the blonde up and looked over at Danny. Danny ran on autopilot as he looked at the other two in front of him. _'Why's Dash here with Paulina?'_

End of Chapter 12

Author's End Notes: So yeah wow, if you got this far then go you! It was really long, but there was a lot that needed to be said and explained...unfortunately for obvious reasons I think most of you won't like Sandra. Hopefully at least now you guys know more about thine enemy and future rival of Danny :hint:hint: But enough of that character profile, I think it's time to get back to our main story in the next chapter. (which don't worry, it's already written and will be posted in a few days)

_Spider's Shout Outs:_

_(because in Mexico they'd be called Los Anuncios de la Araña)_

_I just wanted to thank everyone who's read this fic so far. I loved every single comment, review, joke and just all around nice words from you guys. I hope this chapter hasn't disappointed you guys. You guys are the reason I keep writing this. I hope you all enjoyed it and continue to read this fic. :-) Also I wanna give "Dela the Hidden" a big hug and thanks to my homegirl for all the motivation, friendship and for just being one very cool chick._


	13. The Brunet Bolero

**Disclaimer**: Butch Harman, I know you're out there and if you can hear me then hear my warrior's cry..."Please sell me the copyrights to Danny Phantom!" (lol)

**Author's Notes**: So yes the previous chapter was highly focused on Sandra, but now it's time to show just how the heck she plays a role in Danny's ever growing challenge. I hope I clear up a bit of the confusion behind the whole Paulina/Dash mall meeting and give you hints at the Griffith meeting Sandra question.

**Author's Warnings**: This chapter is more on the hetero side, but you all knew that had to happen at some point. I made sure to also focus in on a side story that hasn't been mentioned by you guys, so in short...don't blink or you won't find out who really had that wet dream about Danny.

_lllll_ blah_lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah_llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 13: The Brunet Bolero

Danny stared up at the two looming figures, his eyes roaming between the blond and the brunette in front of him. Before he could say anything he was suddenly, but gently helped up by someone. He assumed it was Tucker or Derek, but as he turned his head to thank the other person he saw Jack's calm expression stare back at him. The auburn haired boy gave him an amused smile suddenly and nodded with his head that Danny look in front of him.

"What are you doing here Fenton? Other than being a clumsy oaf as usual," Dash said as he looked at Danny.

Normally Danny would have replied with some retort, but he held himself back. It felt weird to banter with the blond like that in front of his other friends. Luckily for him, Derek quickly intervened and stood next to him smirking.

"More importantly Baxter, what are _you_ doing with the lovely and way out of your league Paulina?" the Hispanic boy said in a teasing tone.

Paulina gave the other boy an amused and flirtatious smile in response to the compliment, while Dash gave him a waning look of annoyance. Tucker and Sam gauged Danny's reaction, believing that the sight of his crush with Dash would hurt him. Instead what they saw was Danny's face held a contemplative look on his face and looked at Sandra, then Paulina and back again.

"Or maybe, there's pigs and cows flying outside and the two of you are on a _date._" Derek said smirking. He felt a small satisfaction at seeing Dash stiffen and glare at him through angry slits. It was quickly replaced with curiosity however, when he saw Paulina frown slightly and place a tentative hand on the blond's shoulder. Dash looked back at the Hispanic girl before slowly relaxing, seemingly having composed himself.

With a restrained voice, Dash did his best to politely respond. For all his efforts, he spoke through gritted teeth, "No, we're not and for your information Sanchez, it's none of your business why we're here."

"Um...Dash?"

Everyone turned around and looked back at Sandra, seemingly having forgotten she was standing there at all. The black haired girl smiled at Dash and walked forward to hand him the bottle in her hand.

"I think you dropped this," Sandra said quietly. Dash stared at her in surprise before looking down at what she held in her hand. He instantly blushed when he realized what it was, but before he could hide it a tanned hand reached over and grabbed it first.

Dash's eyes narrowed and his earlier anger returned as he heard Derek and Tucker trying to stifle their giggles. He looked over at the other two giving them a look promising death if they didn't return the bottle.

"'Cinnamon scented body wash, for softer, younger looking skin'." Derek said as he read the bottle's label aloud. "I dunno Dash, now that I think about it, football practice has made you look a little scraggy lately. You look like you need a facial, maybe exfoliate that Neanderthal look on your face."

Tucker began to chuckle, but twin looks of annoyance from Sam and Danny shut him up. Danny sighed at the immaturity of his two friends and finally just snatched the bottle out of Derek's hands and tossed it over his shoulder at Dash. The bottle hit the blond's chest, but fell inside the bag he was holding.

"Nice toss," Sam said sarcastically. Danny gave her a look that begged her to help him clear the odd tension between Derek and Dash, but she merely grabbed him by the shoulders to turn him and look at the scene behind him.

"So is this the best place to get bath and body scents?" Sandra asked Dash and Paulina. Paulina held a slightly excited look on her face before she casually elbowed Dash's ribs. The blond jumped at the action and blushed slightly.

"Uh yeah...I guess. I mean I don't come here often...I mean I don't come here at all, cause t-today was my first time here. That bottle was for my mom cause it's her birthday next week," the blond said in an uncharacteristic stutter.

Danny's eyes widened in realization, _'Now I remember, Dash told me yesterday that he couldn't hang out today because he had something important to do. This must have been what he meant.'_

"Wow, that's really thoughtful of you, Dash. You know you have good taste, cinnamon is one of the most popular feminine smells out there and I think I read somewhere that it's one of the top aromas that both men and women enjoy," Sandra said animatedly. Danny watched as Dash nodded nervously and gave Sandra a weak smile.

Paulina quickly interjected, "I totally agree, that's why I told Dash to buy that body wash scent. It's smooth and warm, yet still chic." Her eyes widened slightly before she put on her most polite smile, "Oh I just realized I haven't introduced myself. My name's Paulina, what's yours?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, um...my name is Sandra Perkins. It's nice to meet you, " Sandra said smiling.

"Likewise," Paulina said. As the two shook hands, Paulina briefly gave Dash an annoyed look. "I don't think I've ever seen you before, did you just move here or something?"

"Um...yes, I did. I moved here about maybe a week and a half ago," Sandra replied smiling.

Without warning a group of people passed by them suddenly, one of them bumping hard against Sandra and spilling their drink on Sandra's shirt. Sandra yelped in surprise and looked down at her shirt in annoyance. Sandra looked back up to see a tall gothic looking boy holding a half empty soda cup while his dark green eyes gave her a guilty look.

The boy came closer to her and gave her a small smile as he said, "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you like that...oh and I messed up your nice shirt. I'm really am sorry for my clumsiness-"

"Clumsiness my-"

"Dash!" Paulina said, giving the blond a disbelieving look.

"Heh, fancy seeing you here, Griffith. Do you haunt the mall often with that fugly clothing of yours?" Derek said smirking. He stood by Sandra's side, his face clearly showing his annoyance for the brunet's actions towards her. Danny was about to step in when Jack's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Danny gave him a curious glance that Jack purposely ignored before looking at the scene in front of him.

"Probably not as much as you and the meathead stink it up, eh football fairy?" Griffith said smirking. Not giving the Hispanic boy or the blond the chance to respond, Griffith looked at his female friend who nodded in return. The blonde girl, who was dressed in dark blue clothing and hand a ring piercing on her left eyebrow, stepped forward toward Sandra.

Griffith gave Sandra his most charming smile as he said, "Flora's a whiz at getting out stains from clothes, I hope you'll accept her help."

Sandra felt overwhelmed by how fast everything was happening around her and shook her head in annoyance as she quickly walked toward the nearest bathroom, Flora hot on her heels. Danny was about to ask Sam to go with them, but saw that both Sam and Paulina had already left. Danny turned his attention back to Griffith and felt his own anger boil at the very sight of arrogant Goth boy. _'He probably bumped into Sandra on purpose.'_

Jack went to stand next to Derek in case his hotheaded friend was actually stupid enough to get into a fight. Danny and Tucker did the same as they stood by a silently fuming Dash. Griffith made a small motion with his hands for the two bulky and menacing looking boys next to him to leave before he turned his attention back to the five boys in front of him. Griffith stared at the others, gauging each of their reactions towards him.

"My, my, my...I never expected to see so many of my underclassmen here all at once," Griffith said smoothly.

"Yeah and in about another second you'll be seeing my fist in your face," Dash replied as he cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"Primitive as usual aren't you, meathead?" Griffith said looking at Dash in disappointment. "It was just an accident so I don't really understand why you and the football fairy are getting so riled up over it. I didn't spill coke on either of you so where is all this anger coming from?"

Having had enough of Griffith, Danny finally spoke, "You had a good amount of space you could have passed through Griffith, yet for someone who's considered by the school coaches as being agile and having good reflexes you still managed to cause that _accident_."

"It's not a wise thing for someone to always be on their guard, Danny." Griffith said smirking. "Besides these things do happen and so it's not that big of a deal."

"Especially if you have someone who can let you borrow a shirt," Paulina said from behind them.

Both she and Flora made their way over with Sam and Sandra not that far behind them. Flora silently went to stand next to Griffith, while Paulina moved to stand near Danny and Sam joined Tucker. With the exception of Griffith and the other girls, everyone stared at an obviously nervous Sandra in front of them.

The brunette girl, under much protest and then several thanks, borrowed one of the shirts Paulina had bought at the mall. Flora had diligently worked on getting rid of the large brown stain on Sandra's shirt and after a minute or so, presented the very wet albeit clean t-shirt. Paulina had quickly stepped in and insisted on her borrowing one of her shirts in the meantime. Sam watched the entire ordeal in surprised silence, observing all of Flora's actions in case the other girl did any sort of ghost manipulation.

To say that Sandra Perkins was a rather plain and boring looking girl at the moment would be a rather bad judgment. The shirt she had been wearing earlier had been much bigger and hid her figure very well, however the tight black fleecy tee she wore on now did not.

Sandra pulled at the insufferable shirt for the fourth time, disliking how it kept riding up to show her midriff. She finally looked up and noticed everyone staring at her and blushed as she realized how ridiculous she must looked to them. A sudden wolf whistle from Derek nearly gave her a heart attack and made her all the more uncomfortable. Danny worried over the flight or fight look on Sandra's face and quickly walked over towards her.

"You look really nice...I mean not that you didn't look nice before...I just think that shirt looks um really nice on you," Danny stuttered. He wasn't very used to complimenting girls like this, but he couldn't let Sandra leave now that Dash had a chance to talk to her.

"Yes doesn't it look just luscious on her. When I found out she was a friend of yours and Dash's, I simply had to help her. Still...don't take this the wrong way Sandra, but I'm kind of glad that Griffith ruined your shirt. You really shouldn't hide your figure like that otherwise boys aren't going to notice you," Paulina said matter-of-factly. Sam scoffed loudly and rolled her eyes at the comment, earning her a withering glare from Paulina in return.

"Speaking of Griffith, it looks like he's left," Jack said calmly.

Twin cries of "what" escaped Dash and Derek's mouths as they looked back to see that indeed Griffith and Flora were gone. Tucker and Sam saw the apprehensive look on Danny's face and wondered what their friend was thinking about.

_'Did Griffith really do that on purpose or was it really just an "accident"? All he really did by doing that was make Sandra annoyed at him and Dash and Derek angry.'_

Danny was interrupted out of his thoughts by a gentle tap on his shoulders. He jumped in surprise at the sudden contact and blushed furiously at the demure gaze directed his way. Danny gulped loudly and spoke the first words that came to mind, "How about you Paulina? Do you...want to hang out...with us"

Paulina gave him a flirtatious gaze before saying, "I'd love to, but I have to help my dad with some errands. Maybe some other time, Danny." She tapped at Danny's nose with the tip of her finger, making the brunet blush instantly. The Hispanic girl gave Dash a meaningful look before waving a goodbye and leaving. _'I hope I helped Dash with his other problem. He's such a loser sometimes, but oh well he's not my problem anymore,' _she thought happily. She briefly looked back and smirked as she saw Dash talking to Sandra.

"Hey guys, what exactly _are_ we going to do?" Tucker asked the group.

"Yeah, we didn't exactly agree on either watching a movie or going to the arcade." Sam pointed out.

_lllll_

"Woo! That was fun, wasn't it guys?" Sandra said cheerfully. Dash and Derek both gave her forced smiles and halfheartedly laughed with her. Sandra smiled at the honest look on their faces, realizing they didn't agree with her at all.

Both boys had originally been playing against each other for nearly two hours on every type of video and arcade game they could get their hands on. Both quickly and viciously trying to beat the other in what was perhaps one of the biggest arcade duels ever seen in Amity Park. It was only when Sandra asked to join in that they stilled their fervor. The brunette girl suggested that the three of them play against each other in a car racing game. The arcade machine was designed to hold four drivers, each with their own viewing screen and car controls. Their friends raised eyebrows as the trio tried relentlessly to crash and kill each other. Three dollars and twenty minutes later, Sandra had come out victorious with Derek a close second.

"Annoyed about becoming the beta wolf of our pack?" Jack asked Derek. Derek gave him a mock glare before laughing and punching his friend's arm. He gave his best friend a meaningful look and gestured with his head over at Sandra.

"It's obvious she doesn't dig me, huh?" Derek asked.

Jack briefly looked over to where the brunette girl was talking to Dash about something that seemed to be making the blond laugh. His eyes squinted before returning to normal and looking back at his defeated friend.

"No, but it's obvious that she doesn't dig him either..._yet_," Jack said, hoping Derek picked up on his hint. "In truth, this sudden competition for her probably didn't make her feel all that comfortable to be around you two, but at least she joined you guys in your maniacal arcade Olympics. You have to keep in mind that she doesn't know you very much and that he's known her for a week longer than you."

"Yeah, a whole week where Dash probably swept her off her feet or something," Derek said in annoyance.

Jack scoffed at suspicion before replying, "Honestly look at her, does she look like a girl who's been wooed by Baxter? A week can hardly be considered enough time for them to have any sort of romantic feelings with each other, attraction yes, but romance...pffft, far from it."

Derek gave him a grateful look that made Jack smile. The quiet boy gave his friend a return punch in the arm before saying, "Now stop acting like such a wuss and turn on your retarded 'Sanchez charm' or whatever. If you don't even try then you're just gonna end up being one of those stupid losers who pine for something that by then is too late to get."

"True...I'll end up being like you," Derek said evenly. Jack looked at him in surprise, obviously not expecting Derek to say that. Derek briefly gave his friend a firm look, before replacing it with a broad smile and walking toward Dash and Sandra.

_lllll_

Derek cracked his knuckles as he enthusiastically said, "Ok, ok, I'll admit that it was dumb to challenge Dash to fighting games without knowing that he's really good at them, or accepting Sandra's challenge to play that racing game after she selectively neglected to mention that those are the only ones she's a goddess at."

"Or challenging me to play Ghost Hunter Chaos III," Danny said smiling.

"Or challenging me and Sam to that space fighter game," Tucker said arrogantly.

"Hey, you don't count cause your chick had a whole freaking book of cheat codes for that game. That was not even remotely fair," Derek said, half pouting.

"No, but it was fun, especially after seeing you eat your words about being better at space adventure games than _some geek and his girl_," Sam said smirking.

"Yeah, just admit you suck at arcade games Sanchez so that we can go eat something," Dash said.

Danny looked over at the blond next to him and felt a surge of happiness at seeing the other boy actually acting civil with his other friends. It was obvious to him that Tucker and Sam still held a small amount of animosity towards Dash, but they were making the effort nonetheless to try for his sake. Even seeing the way Dash kept trying to talk to Sandra made Danny do a mental victory dance. The way he saw it, the most annoying part of his crazy challenge was over because at least Dash was finally showing an interest in someone. He straightened his shoulders, determined to somehow make Sandra see Dash's good qualities before the end of the day, after all who knew when he was going to get a chance like this again

"Forget that. At this point I've lost to every stinking single one of you, except my quiet assassin king of DDR friend," Derek said as he looked behind him. Jack was staring off into space before he finally noticed everyone looking at him. He gave them all an expectant stare before seeing where Derek was gesturing towards.

With a roll of his eyes, the auburn haired boy set his drink down and made his way over to the big DDR machine nearby. The others stayed a fair enough distance away to watch them which made it easier for Jack to angrily whisper to Derek about how he was going to kill him.

"Yeah yeah whatever. I know I could have challenged you to a virtual reality game or hell even an RPG game, but I figured this way we could kill two birds with one stone. I hear Dash can't dance to save his life so this will be the one thing I can totally beat him in," Derek said grinning.

"And just how is us doing this going to help me?" Jack asked. He was about to select the advanced level, but then thought better of it and instead picked the next one down.

"I'll impress my brunette and you impress yours," Derek said calmly. His grin broadened as he saw Jack look at him with a rare blush. He quickly selected for a song to start playing and then gave Jack a reassuring smile.

_lllll_

Later that day, Jack would reflect on the moment and realize that it was the one time when not beating his friend actually mattered. He would try to remember all the times when he and his friend had gone to school dances or danced at friends' parties and never had this one thought before in his life because it always felt that their movements were too different to compare. Derek was a swift and lithe receiver while Jack was a strong and maneuverable running back. On the dance floor Jack was a wind fiend, but Derek was liquid grace. In the end, he would come to the simple conclusion that he was only thinking about the whole thing because of Danny. Danny, who had touched his shoulder and smiled as he'd said that he thought that Jack was the better dancer.

Jack looked out his window at the green expanse of the park below him. Watching like a hawk at the scene of Dash and Danny practicing football moves. He smiled in amusement as he saw Danny slip and fall into a puddle of mud, but his smile was quickly replaced with a frown as he saw Dash fall on top of the brunet. Jack calmly reached into the desk drawer next to him and quickly pulled out his binoculars, turning to look over at the two boys.

Danny was trying frantically to get mud out of his eyes, while Dash looked on laughing. Jack saw the blond reach into his back pocket to produce a blue handkerchief. Danny kept trying to grab the handkerchief and missing so Dash grabbed Danny's hand to give it to him. Danny wiped off the excess mud before opening up his eyes and grinning happily at Dash. Jack's hand clenched tightly on the binoculars as he saw the expression of Dash's face.

_'Am I really too late?' _Jack thought sadly. _'Will there be a day when that dream will come true?'_

End of Chapter 13

_Author's End Notes_: ;; so yes, Jack is an...interesting dreamer and it seems as if there is more Jack's feelings for Danny than just friendship, ne? And while Griffith and Sandra clash after meeting for the first time, it's looks as though Griffith already has plans for her. Is Danny really making progress on his challenge or walking right into Griffith's trap?

Please don't forget to review!

_Spider's Shout Outs:_

_(because if you read yours then I bank a few seconds of your life)_

**Ranma Higurashi**: Hey there! Yeah Paulina is going to be acting pretty weird in this fic, but hopefully this chapter cleared up a few things. At any rate thanks for the review, I'm glad to see you still like the story.

**KimuraSato**: Hello there! ;; Yeah I'm really sorry for taking so long, but as you can see I'm getting better at updating and thanks to you my choice of words is changing. (Thanks for the correct adjective spelling tips, I didn't even know there was a difference :blushes:) All I can say about Sandra's part in the story is that...she's also running out of time (sorry about the lousy cliché hint, but that's the best way I can put it). I'm glad you still love this fic so much and hope you like this chapter enough to give me another awesome review!

**Dela the Hidden**: Hey chick! Hehehe, technically you're review isn't late because you already commented on it beforehand. I think this chapter tells all about what Dash was doing with Paulina, but I hope you noticed the hint that Paulina knows more than she's letting on. Sandra's role...is that she's also running out of time...hehehe, such an obscure hint, sorry. (Time is a theme here and Sandra can't escape it either). Hope you enjoyed this chappie, thanks again for this second review:)

**Pickled Green: **Hola! Awesome, yet another new reviewer to the mix. I'm really glad you liked the fic thus far. Yes I'm not treating Dash and Danny very well, but there's also poor Sandra to consider, after all, it looks like she's involved now and Griffith isn't going to leave her alone either. Hehehe, well anyway hope you liked this chapter too and thanks again for the nice review.

**Ryuze:** Hey! Yeah! I'm glad to be back too:pauses momentarily and then laughs: Hehehe, you're right, I made such a dumb mistake, in Chapter 11 Dash should say 'David Phantom' not Danny. Hehehe, thanks for pointing it out, I'll remember to fix it later. . Thanks for the cool review, it ended up being very helpful. I'm looking forward to your next constructively awesome review!

**Can't tell you that sorry**: Hello there...wow you gave me two reviews and both were the short, sweet and simple kind, nice. (I like a variety of review types.) I'm glad you like my fic and thought it was a good one. I'd like to tell you if Danny wins or not, but this fic only has a few more chapters left before its done. :-) Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**MelisHf:** Horay! Another new reviewer as graced me with their presence! I'm glad you liked the previous chapter, despite the obvious focus on Sandra's past, but either way Sandra's past has been revealed for the most part and so it's time to show just what exactly her purpose is in everything. In case it wasn't unclear, Dash _didn't_ have that dream about Danny. :hint:hint: And yes Dash/Danny is awesome! Hehehe, thanks for the cool review!

**DraconWolf88**: Hey...it's nice to meet you. :) I'm sorry for making you worry...;; Wow you hit the nail right on the button of what going to happen in this chapter didn't you? Well as you can see Griffith isn't dumb to what Danny's trying to pull, but now the problem is if he's actually going to do meddle in our favorite ghost boy's plan... Anyway thanks again for the awesome review, hope you like this chapter!


	14. The Forgotten Flamenco

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Danny Phantom, I'd give Dash powers and make him Danny's sidekick/love interest while making the cliché implications between them, thereby screwing up the great dynamics of the cartoon...so thank god that Butch Hartman runs the plot huh? (P.S. I'm sorry that I'm going against your wishes Mr. Hartman, but I as well as others will not stop writing slash, please forgives us.)

**Author's Notes**: Thanks a lot for the kick a$$ reviews from you guys for the last chapter. I'm really sorry for the delay and all I can say is that it has been a long school semester and bunch of weird transitions with my parents and friends. I throw myself on your mercy, hope you guys will read this and beat me/forgive me for taking so long to give this to you guys. I hope this one doesn't disappoint and I guess if I had to comment on the overall feel of this chapter then it'd be that I've finally stopped putting off the inevitable or in other words Danny will be pushing Dash and Sandra together (whether he wants to or not). ;-)However I will admit that writing a character like Sandra is harder than I thought, but it helps that I'm basing her off a girl (I dislike/respect) who lives in my dormitory.

**Author's Warnings**: I took a chance with this chapter because I figured it was time our favorite blond bully and not so favorite brunette girl deserved a bit more of the spotlight since they're blissfully ignorant about the danger they're in. There are Dash/Danny moments, but I also threw in one small surprise. My last warning is that in this chapter's timeline a few weeks have passed and so as might be expected…there have been some changes. Now without further ado, on to the fic! Enjoy!

_lllll_ blah_lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah_llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 14: The Forgotten Flamenco

_llllllllll_

"Hehehe! You'll never win Danny Phantom!" Griffith shouted maniacally. He was dressed in a gaudy black suit that made him look like a villain from an old silent film. Griffith's cape swirled around him dramatically as he climbed up the town's water tower; Sandra struggled desperately to be released from his dark clutches.

"Help! Danny, save me! Please save me!" Sandra yelled before passing out.

"Sandra!" Danny yelled out as he transformed into his alter ego. He zoomed up to the top of the tower and stood on the gangplank ready to fight Griffith.

Griffith gave the halfa a devilish smirk and in the same dramatic voice yelled out, "Not so fast ghost boy! You didn't think I'd kidnap her without knowing you'd be stupid enough to rescue her. I brought along some extra insurance just in case you try to stop me!"

He moved his cape to the side to reveal a bound and gagged Dash. The blond was struggling to break his binds, while shouting muffled curses at Griffith. With a wave of his hand, Griffith shot out a green ghost blast on the ground below him. Danny gasped as he saw twin tornadoes of green energy slowly swirling up and realized they were portals to the ghost zone.

In an evil tone, Griffith asked, "They're both your friends, but you can only save one, right?"

With monstrous strength, he held up both Dash and Sandra above him and dropped them far apart from each other. Danny watched them fall in slow motion before diving off the water tower after them. Dash managed to break free of his bindings and reached out a hand toward Danny. Midway down Sandra opened her eyes and screamed in terror, her own hands stretched up to him in desperation. No matter how fast Danny tried to fly toward them, they kept eluding his grasp. Just as he barely touched the tips of their hands, the ghost portals boomed loudly and quickly sucked the two in.

_llllllllll_

"No!" Danny yelled out as he awoke with a start. His breath came out in loud puffs as he looked around him wildly, only to see that he was still in his room. The sudden opening of his bedroom door startled him further and sent him sprawling on the floor in surprise.

"Danny! I heard you screaming, are you ok?" Jazz asked fearfully.

She turned on the lights and Danny put a hand over his face to block the harsh sting to his eyes. When his eyes finally adjusted to the change, he managed to pick himself up and sit on his bed. He felt his bed shift and felt a soft hand push away his sweaty bangs from his forehead. He didn't dare to look up, already sensing that same perpetually worried expression on Jazz's face.

For the past few days, Danny had woken up from a diverse range of dreams that left him in a state of embarrassment, openly crying or, as he was now, scared out of his mind. After the second night of hearing noise from Danny's room, Jazz had come in to investigate and what she found made her fret.

Jazz noticed that Danny's body was covered in sweat and his eyes reflected how scared he was. Whenever she asked him what happened he always replied that it was only a bad dream and telling her not to worry. She tried everything, going through all the psychological tactics that she knew to get him to tell her what was wrong. For all her gentle prodding and threats of telling their parents, none of it seemed to matter to Danny or make him open up. As Jazz quietly held her brother, she came to the sad realization that tonight would probably be the same.

From within her embrace she heard Danny mumble something. She loosened her hold on him and finally heard a whispered, "What if I can't save them?"

"Save who?" Jazz asked gently.

"My friends..." Danny said, still in a whisper.

Jazz's eyes widened at hearing Danny finally admit a hint of what was bothering him. She came to the conclusion that somehow his problematic nightmares had something to do with his powers. She slowly released him from the hug and chose her words carefully.

"That depends on what kind of problem they have and sometimes even though we really want to, we can't always help them by ourselves," Jazz said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked in earnest.

"I mean that sometimes you just can't force people to accept your help, no matter how good your intentions are. You're only going to be able to do so much for someone before you realize that they have to learn to help themselves."

"But what if, what if they don't know they have a problem and I can't tell them? What if because I don't help them something bad happens?" Danny asked her in frustration.

"Danny, this is starting to sound pretty serious," Jazz said tentatively. Danny looked away from Jazz's face, feeling guilty because he was the cause of it.

"Fine, if you're not going to tell me then at least hear me out. If your friend has a life threatening problem then tell someone that you trust and can help your friend get professional help." Jazz said calmly. "If I'm overreacting and it's not as serious, then my suggestion is that you can try to give your friend small hints so that they realize something's up. You can't hold their hand and lead them out of danger, but you can at least point them down another path that maybe they weren't going to take before."

Danny repeated slowly, "Another path…"

"Sometimes people aren't going to take the path you think is best for them, but as long as they end up in the same safe place…then it doesn't matter how they get there, just that they do by themselves." Jazz said as she ruffled his hair. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Danny smile at her for the first time in weeks.

_lllll_

"I think you should ask Sandra out on a date," Danny said suddenly.

"What?" Dash asked in alarm. He stopped jogging and looked at Danny as if he'd grown an extra head.

Danny repeated himself, saying his previous words slowly, "I think you should ask Sandra out on a date."

Dash smacked his forehead with his hand as he loudly exclaimed, "Doofus, I heard what you said the first time! W-why are you suddenly bringing her up?"

Danny smiled and matter-of-factly said, "Because you have a big crush on her and-"

Dash quickly put a hand over Danny's mouth and looked around him to make sure no one had heard the brunet's words. He looked back at the shorter boy, seeing the worried look on Danny's face and felt the other boy's nervous breath against his palm. Dash felt his cheeks heat up at the sight and looked away from Danny as he let him go.

Now it was Danny's turn to look at Dash strangely as he noticed the other boy avoided his gaze for some reason. They both stood there awkwardly in the middle of the sidewalk, neither one saying anything. After seeing Dash's strong reaction to the subject of his crush on the girl, Danny felt a hesitant hope rise inside of him. For the pastweek he had watched how the two grew closer and wondered if the attraction was only one-sided.

"I-I don't have a _big_ crush on her, alright? I just like her...as more than a friend...that's all," Dash admitted blushing. "And…I have thought about asking her out…plenty of times but..."

"But…" Danny prompted.

Dash looked at him seriously, almost giving Danny an annoyed look as he replied, "Something that I can't explain and didn't expect keeps holding me back."

_'You've got to be kidding me!' _Danny thought in anger. _'I spent an entire day convincing her dad with a presentation of the pros and cons of attending public school. Tucker and Sam hacked into the school system so that she has Dash in most of her classes. I've done everything except forced them to play seven minutes in heaven! I have 27 days left; he can't start having doubts now!' _

"Well, when did you realize that something was holding you back?" Danny asked as casually as possible. _'God I feel like I'm Jazz the teenage shrink,' _he thought. Dash began to jog again and Danny followed after him.

Dash chuckled as he said, "Heh, jogging with you these past few days has made you like…my shrink or something. It's like you're constantly trying to pick apart my brain and figure out what I'm thinking. I've never had a friend who's done that before so it's really weird."

"Oh," Danny replied awkwardly. He struggled to say something, but couldn't find a single thing to say. He suppressed the urge to remind the blond about his earlier suggestion, figuring he should just drop it for now. The two jogged on in silence for a few more moments, their ragged breathing the only sound between them. Danny mulled over Dash's words before the blond suddenly spoke up.

"But when you do that sometimes, I guess...it's also kinda...nice," Dash admitted. He chanced looking at Danny and saw the other boy look at him in surprise before just giving him a small smile. Dash returned the gesture with a smirk and laughed as he said, "But you're still weird, Fenton."

_lllll_

"And then now that you've calculated the other two angles of the triangle, all you have to do, is subtract their sum from 180...so let's see, forty-six plus thirty-six equals eighty-two and one-hundred-eighty minus eighty-two is...ninety-eight." Sandra said smiling. She quickly jotted down the numbers and showed the two boys in front of her the correct answer.

"Ohhhh," cried Dash and Derek in understanding.

Dash suddenly glared at Derek and accusingly said, "What are _you_ doing here? You're not even in our math class."

Derek glared right back as he replied, "So? It's always a good thing to brush up on the basics. Besides why are _you_ here, isn't math the one class you're not failing. You shouldn't bother such a cute math tutor like-"

"Sandra?" said a loud voice next to them. "What are you doing here?

Sandra tensed at the sound of her name and her face showed that she recognized the person next to her.

"Hi…dad," Sandra said nervously.

Derek and Dash looked up at the tall and stern looking man in front of them. Their eyes widened as they took in the navy blue military uniform that had various awards and medals pinned to it, the three stars pinned on each of the uniform's shoulders and last but not least the dark red hair and angry looking green eyes directed at them.

"Colonel Perkins?"

The older man looked behind him to see Danny and Tucker standing there. Colonel Perkins looked at them expectantly and gestured over toward Dash and Derek, who were looking uncomfortable at being pointed at by him.

"Private Fenton and Private Foley, you're just in time to help Sandra explain to me why she's surrounded by these two unidentified and suspicious looking soldiers after she clearly told me that she'd be back home by 1700 hours?"

Sandra blushed in embarrassment as she quickly said, "_Dad_ their not unidentified soldiers, their some of my friends from school."

Colonel Perkins turned sharp eyes on both Dash and Derek and with an authoritative voice said, "You two, name and rank."

Derek quickly saluted and blurted out, "Private Derek Renato Sanchez, sophomore at Casper High, number 82, receiver for the Ravens football team...sir!"

"Um... Dash James Baxter, freshman at Casper High, number 4, the quarterback for the same team sir!" Derek quickly elbowed him and Dash remembered to salute. Tucker stifled his laughter as he watched the two.

"At ease gentlemen, I suppose your names do sound rather familiar and perhaps my daughter has mentioned you both once or twice, but that still doesn't explain why you're here so late?" Colonel Perkins said as he looked at his daughter.

"I was helping them with their math training I-I mean tutoring. They needed help with some algebra problems and Colonel you know that math is one of the few subjects in school that I am actually good at. I guess we just lost track of time, I'm sorry that you had to come all the way down here," Sandra said giving her father an apologetic smile.

Colonel Perkins looked at the various books splayed on the table and calmly replied, "Well your story seems to pan out. Excuse me for my accusations Private Baxter and Private Sanchez, but as you know one can never be too careful." Colonel Perkins turned to look at Danny and gave him a hint of a smile, "Private Fenton, it's good to see that you have kept up your end of the bargain and have been keeping my daughter in good company."

Danny laughed nervously at the odd compliment and looked over at Dash and Derek, now looking like they wanted to be anywhere but there. They jumped when Colonel Perkins asked them, "I trust that the math training session is over with?"

The two high school students immediately nodded, afraid of what would happen if they disagreed. Sandra sighed silently and nodded as well before moving to gather up her things. She briefly gave the four boys an apologetic look as she moved to stand up.

"Well then we'll be off, I'll see you in the car in ten minutes Sandra, but first I must use the facilities. It was nice to see you again Private Fenton, Private Foley and good to meet you two soldiers," Colonel Perkins said in the same authoritative voice. He nodded once before heading off toward the restroom.

Sandra laughed softly and gave Derek and Dash a bright smile that made them blush and look away. Tucker sat down in the booth and smiled at them as well.

"He likes you guys," Tucker said teasingly.

"Huh, how do you know?" Derek asked curiously.

Danny smiled as he answered, "When he calls someone 'Private' and attaches their last name to it, it's a sign that he thinks you're alright...at least enough to be around Sandra."

"He even does that with my girl friends. It's just his weird way of saying that he approves of that friend. Heh, I told you my dad was weird," Sandra said, blushing slightly.

"I dunno, he seems kinda cool actually. Reminds me a lot of my older sister, she's a lieutenant in the military," Derek said proudly.

"Wow, that's pretty rare," Sandra said impressed.

"Yeah, well my sister wasn't exactly what you'd call a typical Amity Park girl," Derek said smirking.

"Yeah, I remember your sister alright. My dad said that Ana Sanchez, is the only girl in the history of Casper High who ever played on the football team," Dash said looking at Derek.

"Heh, yeah, just proves how I have a lot of live up to in coach's eyes," Derek said smiling apprehensively.

"No you don't," Sandra said suddenly. She gave him a wide smile and added, "He's not blind, he knows you work hard otherwise he wouldn't have put you in last week's game."

As Tucker gathered up his things to also leave, he added, "Yeah if it weren't for you, Danny and Greg, then we wouldn't have made a comeback against the Franksdale Panthers. Well, I gotta go, see you guys."

Danny waved a hesitant goodbye to his best friend and watched the other boy leave. He felt a nagging feeling in his chest, but ignored it and turned back to the people in front of him. He could ask Tucker tomorrow if something was wrong or even ask Sam if she'd also noticed a change. Sandra jumped in surprise and quickly tried to gather the rest of her things.

"I better get going too. Especially before the Colonel comes in and gives you guys another interrogation. Anyway I hope I helped, I'll see you guys at school tomorrow!" Sandra said as she waved good bye and ran out the door. Danny saw Dash fidget in his seat before pushing against Derek and literally jumping out of the booth.

From where he fell on the floor, Derek yelled out, "What the heck's wrong with you, you moron!"

Dash muttered a sorry and ran out the door like his life depended on it. Derek and Danny quickly went to the window and saw Dash stumble before catching up to Sandra. They watched the two talk for a few minutes, in that time their expressions changing too rapidly for Danny to tell what was going on. Dash half-heartedly waved to Sandra who ran toward her father's car. Dash watched Sandra and her father drive off, standing there for a long time looking like he was staring off into space.

"You think he has gas?" Derek suddenly piped in.

Danny almost spit out the soda he was drinking and hit his chest to stop himself from choking. He chuckled once before saying, "No, it looks like he's thinking."

"Same difference. Hmm, I wonder if she turned him down," Derek said turning to sit properly in the booth. Derek raised an eyebrow at Danny's confused look and sighed at his friend's ability to be so dense. Derek leaned forward and in a conspirator tone said, "He just asked her out, duh."

"What, how could you tell?" Danny asked in surprise.

"Ah come on D.F., a guy doesn't chase after a girl like that to say 'have a good night' or 'take care and drive safely'. When a guy pushes down his rival, runs after a girl, stops to talk to her and makes every single expression known to man show up on her face, you can bet your boxer shorts that he wants to tell her or ask her something important."

"So you think he really did it?" Danny asked, trying not to get his hopes up too high.

Derek took a sip of his soda before he continued, "Tch, that goober's been trying to ask Sandra out for the longest time. It's gotten to the point where even I thought it was pretty pathetic...and I told him exactly that."

"Y-you told him to ask her out?" Danny said incredulously. "Why would _you_ try to help _him_ get Sandra?"

Derek looked down at his soda and after a moment said, "D.F., my mother once told me that there are things in this world that you just can't stop. Things that are destined to be the way they are for a reason and that if you're wise enough you'll one day stop and understand that reason. If you aren't then you'll simply live out the destiny and watch as those things happen around you. On a smaller scale...I think that's what Sandra and Dash are to me, just something that I can't stop."

Danny looked at the wistful look on his friend's face and felt a twinge of guilt at not noticing his friend's obvious sadness sooner. These past few weeks he had been pushing Dash to go and win Sandra's heart, but only now did he realize that he had never stopped to consider how it was making Derek feel. He looked outside at Dash who was slowly walking back toward the diner before turning back to Derek. He was about to tell Derek how sorry he was, but the other boy's sudden smile startled him.

"Then again my mother also told me that I should sooner die then never try at something. Hehehe, that's why I guess I'm also ok with the whole thing. I kinda expected Sandra to turn me down when I asked her out last week and give me some friendship speech, but in the end I guess everything works out."

Danny sighed in amusement and said, "I knew it, there had to be some sort of catch to you being alright with Dash and Sandra."

"Maybe, but I figure I gotta be the better guy and move on...and I have. Last week I met someone who totally understood my pain and after I talked to her I felt...happy. Point is that this chick is totally worth chasing after, even if she is a year older than me," Derek said blushing slightly.

"An older girl? Wow you recover fast, so who is she?" Danny asked interested.

"Your sister," Derek said grinning. His friend's silent response made him gulp and in a worried voice he said, "Um D.F...you're making me nervous holding that butter knife like that..."

Moments later Derek would thank Dash for showing up in time to stop Danny from killing him. Derek looked between the two boys struggling in front of him and had a silly smile on his face as he thought, _'Heh, maybe I was wrong.'_

_lllll_

Dash lay on his bed and stared up at his ceiling in dread. He thought back to what Sandra had said to him after he'd asked her out. He sighed for the fifteenth time tonight and realized how pathetic he must have looked.

_lllllllllll_

"Dash?" Sandra exclaimed in surprise. "Did I forget something inside the diner?"

Dash shook his head and paused before finally blurted out what was on his mind, "Will you go out with me?"

Nervous dark blue eyes stared at a pair of surprised green and for a split second Dash thought that Sandra was going to run away. The brunette tore her gaze away from him, her head bowing forward in what Dash thought was sadness. He sensed Sandra was about to refuse and again said the first thing that came to mind, "I'll prove that I want to go out with you."

Sandra slowly looked up at him and Dash's eyes widened as he saw a telltale pink tint staining her cheeks.

"Prove? I thought asking was proof enough," Sandra said giving him an amused smile. "Geez, you Amity Park guys sure move fast don't you?"

At Dash's confused look she shook her head and continued, "There's a lot of things I w-want to say right now, but I don't know what to say first."

Dash gave her a bright smile as he said, "Say yes."

"D-dork, I meant that I can't," Sandra said, still blushing slightly. "Still I'll admit that…I-I'm really flattered that you asked me out."

Dash took the smile she directed at him as a good sign, but tried not to let his hope show on his face. Sandra took a hesitant step closer to him and looked him square in the eyes. After a moment under her harsh scrutiny, he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next.

"Dash Baxter, just how does a boy 'prove' to a girl that he wants to go out with her?" Sandra asked in amusement.

Dash smirked in return and felt his confidence return as he spoke, "Well Sandra Perkins, when a guy wants to prove this fact to a girl he should do...um three...yeah three weird and seemingly impossible things that the girl thinks he can't do. If he does all three then the girl should without a doubt go out with this cool, very smooth and handsome dude and in return do _any three things that the boy wants_."

Sandra scoffed at the lewd look on Dash's face and sarcastically replied, "Ha ha ha, that last part was real funny, I'm sure any girl will agree to that."

"Alright then, forget the last part. Name the three things you think I should do in order to guarantee myself a date with you," Dash said resolutely. Both teenagers crossed their arms, now looking as if they were going to have a stand off.

"For the record, I think you're absolutely ridiculous and really need to learn to take a hint," said Sandra.

Dash remained silent and merely stared at her with determination flashing in his eyes. Sandra looked away; desperately trying to will the blush that she knew was on her face to go away. Taking a moment to think about the practical things that Dash should do, she finally came up with what she thought were challenge worthy tasks.

"Alright Baxter, if you're really going to be serious about this then here are you're three things," Sandra said in a tone that made Dash worry. He saw a small smirk appear on the brunette's face as she slowly said, "Number one, you have to pass our math test-"

"Heh, that's pretty easy," Dash said chuckling.

"With no less than an B or an eighty percent," Sandra said grinning.

"Aw geez, the test is this Friday. You're asking for miracles," Dash said in dismay.

"No, I'm asking for something _seemingly impossible_. Now number two, you have to lead the team to victory and win the game that's also this Friday."

"What? That team was last year's district champions! You actually think the Ravens can stand a chance against the Hoserton Tritons!"

Sandra ignored his outburst and continued, "And last but not least, you have to do the third and hardest thing of all...convince the Colonel to let me go out with you despite the fact that I'm not fifteen, and as he sees it, not at the proper age for _dating_."

The sudden honking from a nearby car startled the two. Sandra quickly turned on her heel and was about to run before she looked back at Dash's dejected face. Feeling slightly remorseful, she gave Dash a sincere smile and told him the truth, "You know you don't have to go to such lengths to get a silly girl like me to go out with you, you just have you wait. And I was just kidding around and I don't honestly expect you to do those things, ok? They're just...things that would make me happy if they happened. Anyway...I'll see you tomorrow Dash...I'm sorry."

_llllllllll_

With a grunt of annoyance, Dash got off his bed and headed over to his dresser. Roughly grabbing the cordless phone off its stand, he pressed the seven digits he now knew by heart but didn't think he'd ever have the occasion to call. As he waited for the other person to pick up, he felt his courage slowly leave him. Finally after the fourth ring a sleepy "Hello" answered.

"Hey Fenton," Dash said, feeling a blush creep up his neck.

Danny yawned once and paused before replying, "Dash, it's one-thirty in the morning."

Dash felt his blush increase at the statement. He hadn't realized it was so late and now cursed himself for not just doing this at school. _'Why the heck did I just call his cell phone at such a stupid hour?'_

"Um Dash, are you still there?" Danny asked unsurely.

"Yeah, I'm still here," Dash replied gruffly.

"Oh," Danny said as another yawn escaped him. He scratched his head as he asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Dash sighed and nodded before smacking his forehead as he realized that Danny wouldn't be able to see him nod. _'Why can't I just say it? This is still Fent-Danny after all, he's not going to make fun of me. Yeah, Danny's not like that and if there's anybody I can talk to about this sort of sensitive stuff then he's the one.'_

"Hello?" Danny asked in worry.

"Fenton, I mean...Danny, I finally asked Sandra out on a date," Dash said proudly.

"What? When?" Danny asked in shock.

"Before she and her dad took off," Dash replied.

"I thought you said you asked for extra math help," Danny replied in confusion.

"No, I lied about that because I didn't want Sanchez ragging on me about it. Anyway I called because...we sort of made a bet out of it."

Danny smiled in sleepy amusement as he asked, "A bet? What kind of bet?"

Feeling his blush return, Dash slowly admitted, "She told me that if I do these three things...then she'd go out with me."

"Really? Wow, that's...good Dash," Danny said, trying to sound happy for his friend. _'I wonder what the three things are?' _he thought worriedly.

Dash let out a quiet sigh and ran a nervous hand through his blond hair before saying, "Eh, not really Danny because, I...can't believe I'm going to say this, but...I need your help."

End of Chapter 14

**Author's End Notes**: I made up Dash's middle name, so if someone out there knows what it actually is then please feel free to tell me. Hope you guys liked it and please review!

**Spider's Shout Outs**:

(_because without them I wouldn't get the chance to say thanks_)

**Kimura Sato**: Thank you for the awesome review! I've been reading some of your more recent stuff and to be honest it's what gave me that final push to let go of my worry and just update. All the Butch Hartman drama has also made it so that I can't help but do this now more than ever ya know? Well anyway I hope you like this chapter (despite the fact that it comes from an evil author who took months to put it up)! -.-

**Ranma Higurashi**: Lol, glaring at Griffith is definitely something you should save for later when he'll be down right psycho. That's all I can say other than that he's going to redouble his efforts to mess with Dash and Danny. Thanks for the review!

**Ryuze**: Hey there! Dash and Danny are at the park practicing for fun and Jack who happens to live nearby is just watching them from his window. No, Jack's not seer or anything, the dream that's mentioned is the one of him and Danny together that's all. ;-) He will be a decent guy, but his feelings for Danny might get in the way of that. Anyway, hope that clarifies the confusion, thanks for the nice review!

**DraconWolf88**: Hey, I bet you're booing me now for taking so long to update with this chapter. I was still wondering if you still wanted that fic you requested because a couple of weeks ago I managed to get my hands on the Wulf episodes and thus was able to write a fic. If not, I understand, but either way I just wanted to thank you for the early on review.

**Pickled Green**: Hey, wow. I was very happy when I read your review and I'm glad that up until the point you read up to, that you liked my story so much. Yes, it does stink that Jack's feelings won't ever really reach Danny, but that doesn't mean anything won't happen between them. ;-) Thanks for the review!

**Dela the Hidden**: hides behind a sofa and prays Dela the Hidden won't throw something at her I'm so sorry for not updating sooner and I really hope that you'll forgive this silly spider again for such a super late update. This chapter probably didn't answer all your last questions, but I hope it didn't give you knew ones. Nevertheless I hope you liked the chapter though and I wanted to say thanks for taking the time to review now and always.

**Dazja**: Hey there new reader! I'm glad you like this fic enough to keep a look out for it. I hope this late delay though hasn't deterred you from it. Thanks for the review!

**dark-angel miyuki**: Hello there! A question not asked, is a question not answered. So I'm glad you asked this because now I can clarify something that people some to think about him. The answer is that no, Griffith isn't the Grim Reaper, he's actually more like low level death god. If the Grim Reaper is the President/CEO then Griffith is like a manager/supervisor. I'm glad you like this story and I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. Thanks again for the two reviews!

**What the G stands for**: Lol, I'm glad my fic inspired you to dance. (dancing is not a theme here, but is a title motif ) I also laughed at your joke about Jack and Danny not dating because Jack is the same name as Danny's dad. Lol, thanks for the funny review and I hope you like this chapter as well.

**Isabella Rossallini**: Hi, you have asked the million dollar question and I'll pay you 42 cents (it's what's in my pocket) but I sorry because I can't tell you when they'll get together yet. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter.

**authoraisarete**: Hi, first time reviewer! I'm glad you found my fic and I'm just happy you reviewed it, so no apologies. Lol, yes Jack and his dreams are troublesome aren't they? I think a lot of fangirls want to smack Danny in my fic for being dense…lol, maybe even Paulina will want to. That is when we get to know what really happened at the mall. wink wink Thanks for the review!

**Kelleigh722**: Hey there, fellow LJer. I'm sorry for taking so long in responding to you and in updating this fic. I hope this doesn't leaving you hanging (although slight cliffhanger at the end might). Wow, I didn't know you were a dance teacher, that's cool. The dance titles really are out there huh? Well anyway, thanks again for the nice review!

**Roosterellli**: Wow, lol you're reaction to my fic was so nice! Thanks for your review. I'm always afraid people will find too many horrible/tacky clichés in this fic and shove it on the backburner so your review was reassuring that it can't be all that bad. 

**miyuki**: Dude! I wrote some more, it wasn't quick, but it's here now. Forgive me and I hope you like it. Thanks for your too the point review. 

**Cal Sathe**: Hi! In response to your first review….blushes thanks for the love. ;; In response to your second review…I know, I know I'm a sinner upon the fanfiction gods for my repeated accounts of late updates. bows Forgive me, but I thank you for the review!

**Ellen**: 'Ello back! I'm flattered/floored that you think my fic is original (rarely do I hear that for anything I write). Ok so in this Mexican town near my dad's hometown on the Day of the Dead the people go to the plaza and dance. The dance style is called Baile del Rey de los Muertes (Dance of the King of the Dead), when my cousin demonstrated it, it looked like a boogie. Later when I wrote the first chapter of this fic and had already planned out in my head what the main plot was I remembered that dance and just translated it using the word 'Grim Reaper' instead of 'King of the Dead'. Lol, it's such a weird story, but more or less this is how it came out. Anyway, thanks for the question and your review!

**CSkerries**: Lol, I momentarily grew flustered at your tentacle monster implication comment. Thanks for the characterization compliment and yeah I agree that I was pretty pushy when it came to that library moment. I liked how you gave me some constructive criticism to go with your review and I'd appreciate it, that if you continue to read this, you give me more in the future. I'll never become a good fanfic writer if I don't improve on the little as well as the bigger mistakes I make. Thanks again for your wonderful review.

**Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac**: Huray, for another new reader. dances along and hugs back I'm happy you like the fic enough to dance (Gives me a secret pleasure if I can make people take a moment to groove, lol). Here's the update and I hope that you like it enough to dance some more. Thanks for the review!

**hittocerebattosai**: Hey homegirl. Fear not for this bum of a fan fic writer has put some more soup in the pot and now offers it to you. Hope you dug in and thanks for the review!


	15. The Jacket Jazz

Disclaimer: I'll never own Danny Phantom, I'll never make money off of Danny Phantom…sigh…BUT you can bet your pants that I'll be able to write slash about it. :)

**Author's Notes + Warnings **(please take a second to read): This chapter is light and simple because the next chapter is, well as one person put it, "WTF! What the hell is this? How could you do that?" and so I guess it might be that this chapter is a slow element of peace before everything starts getting weirder. So at any rate, please just kick back and enjoy!

_lllll_ blah _lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah _llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 15: The Jacket Jazz

"The trick to solving this problem is that you had to realize how to figure out the inner angles based on the fact that all the outer angles of the polygon added up to 360 degrees," Jack said to his very small class.

"Oh, and then by using the tangent function you can figure out the inner angles," Dash said, with a sense of clarity.

Jack gave the blond a small smile, "Exactly Dash."

"So does this apply to all polygons or just when they explicitly say it?" Tucker asked.

"No, this applies to almost all polygons. You know that a circle is 360 degrees. Well imagine it like a rubber band, if you stretch it a certain way it can become a rectangle with four 90 degree angles and if you stretch it another way it can become a pentagon with...?" Jack trailed off expectantly.

Danny quickly did the math on his paper and hesitantly raised his hand. Jack nodded at him and Danny nervously said, "With five 72 degree angles?"

"Correct," Jack said smiling.

"And with that ending note gentlemen, it is five o'clock and time for the four of you to go home," Mr. Lancer said, looking sternly at them.

He stood up from the desk he had been supervising them from and moved to gather up his briefcase and coat. Jack quickly erased any traces of math from the board before grabbing his backpack from where he'd left it on the ground. Danny, Tucker and Dash stood at the door waiting for him to join them and finally all four thanked Mr. Lancer before leaving the English teacher's classroom.

Tucker suddenly said, "Man do you guys remember the look on Lancer's face when we asked him where we could find an empty classroom to study in?"

"Yeah, he looked like he was going to check our temperatures and call the school nurse or something," Danny said chuckling.

"Yes and I thought it was funny how he thought we were 'up to something' and kept looking at us suspiciously, but at least he let us use his classroom. I wonder, is it because he sees the three of you as...slackers?" Jack asked hesitatingly.

"Oh, no we pretty much are slackers," Tucker said proudly.

"Still, when Danny came to me asking for help for your geometry test, I thought it was going to be tomorrow or something. Why are the three of you studying so 'early' if it's not until Friday?" Jack asked somewhat suspicious.

"Grades," all three freshmen said at once.

They looked at each other before looking at Jack with innocent looks. Jack sighed and decided to just buy their story for now, figuring they would say the truth sometime. Despite whatever the trio was planning, at least it required them to keep up with their academics so perhaps it couldn't be all bad.

"Hey! Hold up you guys!"

Four heads turned to see a sweaty and slightly dirty looking Derek running up to them. When the sophomore finally caught up with them, he huffed out a tired greeting. Jack placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder to help him relax. Derek gave him a small smile in return and finally began walking with them.

"Geez, you guys missed coach's killer hour. You left at the perfect time, cause right afterwards that old fart gave us this scary grin and announced a 'death practice'." Derek said shuddering. "I'm so tired, thank god I finished most of my homework in class, I'm gonna go home and pass out."

"I already finished all of mine. Do you need help with yours?" Jack asked him.

"Nah, I can do it. It's just Calculus and that won't take me long," Derek said smiling.

"Calculus? I thought we take that second semester of junior year," Tucker asked in surprise.

"Yeah, normally we do, but if you bug the teachers enough they let you take this crazy entrance exam to get into the class," Derek said remembering the difficult test.

"The test takes about three hours and covers all the material you should already know including pre-calculus," Jack explained.

"Yeah and it's really annoying cause you have to score at least a ninety for Lancer to even approve of you entering the class," Derek said.

Dash smirked as he said, "Let me guess, you barely scored a ninety and that's why you're whining about it."

"Brilliant deduction coming from a C+ student," Derek replied sarcastically. "Anyway, I gotta head this way, I'll see you guys later."

With the exception of Dash, the three boys bade their goodbyes to him and kept walking together. Jack chuckled to himself and caught the others' attention. Noticing they were looking at him expectantly, the auburn haired boy smiled as he said, "I'm sorry Dash, but I'm laughing at what you said about Derek's score on the calculus entrance test."

"Why?" Tucker asked with interest. "Did he really just barely make ninety?"

"No, he got a perfect score," Jack said evenly. He laughed softly at their shocked faces before saying, "In truth I'm the one that barely got a ninety-one."

"A perfect score," Dash said in disbelief. "Then why...why didn't he brag about it?"

Jack paused and finally replied, "He probably thought that you guys wouldn't believe him. Most people at school only see Derek as a jokester and a jock, but he actually does really well in school. He's lived his whole life with people not giving him enough credit that I suppose he's just used to it."

"But if you're good at something then you should be recognized for it," said Tucker.

Jack looked at three as he said, "That's how you and I think, but Derek's logic is very different. Don't get me wrong, sometimes the jerk brags enough for the both of us, but his deal is that he doesn't want to be recognized just by his accomplishments more like for who he is...at least that's what I think."

Shifting the weight of his messenger bag onto his other arm, the taller boy waved as he walked away from them, "Well anyway, good luck on your test and if you guys need my help again, don't be afraid to ask, ja ne."

Tucker held a confused look on his face as he said, "Jah ney? What's that mean?"

"No it's _ja ne_, he told me that it's an informal way of saying goodbye in Japanese," Danny explained.

"Oh, makes sense," Tucker said as he began playing a game on his palm pilot. "Ya know that guy is sometimes eerily perceptive about the people around him."

"Yeah, but it makes him easy to talk to and ask for help. Right, Dash?" said Danny. When he received no response, he looked over at the quiet blond. _'Maybe he feels weird walking with us.'_

Danny tried again, "Dash?"

"Huh?" Dash said distractedly. He blinked out of his stupor and looked at them expectantly.

Danny and Tucker raised an eyebrow at Dash's reaction, but shrugged their shoulders and kept walking. Both began talking over the upcoming game against the Tritons, Dash every now and then putting in his two cents over the new plays the coach was making them practice.

"Wow, so a lot of these plays involve the...receivers being in the game more?" Tucker asked uncertain. He still didn't know all the techniques of football strategies. He switched off his game and text messaged Sam to make sure she had everything ready.

"Yeah, a month ago Coach made guys like Fenton and Sanchez train more," Dash said with a sly smile. "This is around the same time when he realized that a certain _someone_ was hiding the fact that he can't run correctly for long periods of time."

Tucker saw Danny's face heat up at the comment and laughed aloud at the blush on his best friend's face. Danny fidgeted uncomfortably before settling down and putting his hands deep into his pockets.

"So what is your coach doing to help Danny?" Tucker asked Dash bluntly.

Danny grumpily interrupted, "He gave me a _'jogging partner'_, the fifth fastest guy on the team and someone who can _'whip my butt into shape'_. I've been training with him for almost three weeks now."

"Well that's kind of cool of the guy to take time out his schedule to help you," Tucker said smiling at Danny.

Dash smirked as he said, "Yeah and it looks like his training's finally helping because Coach made us do the 40 yard dash test yesterday and Fenton improved his running time from 5.5 to 5.0 seconds."

"Is that a good thing? The difference is only a few seconds," Tucker asked Dash.

"In football that difference is a big deal and it's nearly impossible to improve so much in such a short amount of time," Dash said smiling proudly. "I think Fenton probably proved to coach that he's isn't completely hopeless."

Danny felt his face heat up further at the comment and put his hands further into his pocket as he muttered, "It's all thanks to my lunatic jogging partner."

Tucker gave him an amused smile as he said, "Aw come on he can't be that bad."

Danny gave him a look that spoke of weeks of trauma before exclaiming, "The jerk wakes me up at six in the morning and makes me jog for an hour everyday and jog two hours at night. Every now and then he tortures me by pulling pranks that make me run faster. He once slipped a bone in my pocket and blew a dog whistle so that every stray dog in Amity Park chased me. On weekends he ties a rope around my waist and pays little kids on skateboards or roller blades to grab on as I run."

Tucker was unable to continue walking and leaned against a nearby wall laughing his head off. Dash chuckled nearby and looked over at the embarrassment written all over the brunet next to him. He slapped Danny's shoulder and gave him a small smile. The two stared up at each other in silence before the moment was broken by Tucker hanging off of Danny's shoulder, still laughing.

"Hehehe, I feel sorry for you." Tucker said smiling. "So what's his name anyway?"

Danny pointed with his thumb next to him and calmly replied, "Him."

Tucker's eyes widened in surprise and stared at the blond next to him. He was going to ask Dash something before he was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing. Dash reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his cell phone to see who was calling him.

With a smirk on his face he held it to his ear and slyly answered, "What are you wearing?"

Danny and Tucker looked at each other in alarm and unconsciously leaned forward to hear whoever it was that had called Dash. Danny made out the sound a female voice yelling at Dash loudly. Dash chuckled good-naturedly and "uh huh-ed" for most of the conversation before saying goodbye to the other person. Dash looked back at the other two and scoffed as he saw them casually move away from him.

"Geez, you two are worse than the nosy girls at school."

Dash ignored the annoyed looks aimed at him and stretched his arms over his head. He sighed once before turning on Danny and staring at him almost menacingly.

"If I ask you to come with me somewhere without asking questions would you?" Dash asked him in earnest.

Danny paused for moment and gave him an honest answer, "No."

"Heh, I thought you'd say that," Dash said giving him his most innocent smile. Danny took a step back not buying the look on the blond's face at all. Before he had a chance to realize what was happening, Dash half tackled him and grabbed him. The blond grunted from the effort and gruffly threw Danny over his shoulder.

"Dash! What are you doing? Let go of me!" Danny yelled pounding against Dash's back.

Tucker stared at the scene of a struggling Danny trying to get Dash to let go of him. He would have laughed aloud if he wasn't worried about his best friend's safety. He nervously asked, "Um Dash, what are you going to do to Danny?"

"Don't worry Foley, he'll be alive tomorrow...if he stops struggling that is," Dash said shifting Danny and almost making him fall. Danny stopped struggling, afraid the blond really would drop him.

"Alright, alright, I'll go! I promise I'll go and won't ask questions, just put me down!" Danny said desperately.

"I dunno, carrying you like this might get us there faster," Dash said smirking. "You really need to eat more Fenton. I bet Paulina probably weighs more than you."

Danny blushed and began struggling again, "Shut up! Just let me down, I can walk by myself!"

Dash laughed to himself as he bent forward and let go of Danny. The brunet stood shakily on the ground but didn't have time to recover before Dash grabbed his arm and dragged him off.

"See you, Foley." Dash threw over his shoulder.

"Tucker help!" Danny said as he reached out toward his best friend.

Tucker shook his head in amusement and jokingly yelled out, "Hey Danny if you die can I have your computer?"

"No you traitor!"

_'Hehe, I gotta tell Sam about this,' _Tucker thought and began to text message his girlfriend again.

_lllll_

Dash looked over at the brunette boy next to him, wondering if the other boy was still mad at him. Danny was walking slightly ahead of Dash, feeling embarrassed over his earlier behavior. He clutched the bag that held his gift tighter and thought back to what had happened earlier that evening.

_llllllllll_

"Hey Fentonmeister!" Kwan called out jovially. He slapped Danny's back roughly and nearly made the other boy crash into some trashcans. Kwan did the usual handshake with Dash and asked, "Was it hard getting him here?"

"Nah, you know Fenton. All it took was a little persuasion," Dash said, emphasizing his point by cracking his knuckles.

"Well let's go before my cousin gets mad. She was supposed to close the store twenty minutes ago," said Kwan. Danny barely caught a glimpse of the store's name, "Sports Style" before Kwan grabbed Danny and led him inside the shop. Kwan let go of him to talk to an Asian girl that was standing behind a large counter.

Danny took a moment to look around the shop and saw that the entire store had nothing but sports clothes. He walked toward a nearby glass counter and saw different sweat bands with specially designed words and logos embroidered on them. Danny caught sight of Dash through the reflection and walked over to the blond who was perusing a rack of basketball jerseys.

"Dash now that we're here can I know _why_ we're here?" Danny said in a harsh whisper.

"No way Fenton, it'll spoil the surprise," Dash said smirking.

"Surprise? What surprise?" asked a bewildered Danny.

"Dweeb, if I told you then it wouldn't be surprise would it?" Dash said, giving Danny a teasing smile.

"Yo Dash! She said it's ready, we just need the nickname now," Kwan said aloud.

Dash gently pushed Danny with him and walked the other boy toward the counter. Danny looked at the beautiful Asian girl in front of him and grew flustered when he saw her smile at him. She pulled out a white box from a shelf behind her and laid it on top of the countertop.

"Oh yeah before I forget. Danny, this is my cousin Jade, Jade this Danny and you already know Dash," Kwan said, gesturing on both sides.

Danny shook her hand and politely said, "It's nice to meet you."

Jade giggled and in a soft voice replied, "Likewise. Well, I tailored the jacket to the measurements you asked for Kwan, but Danny should try it on...just in case."

Danny was finally fed up and curtly asked, "Try what on? What are you talking about?"

"Surprise, Fentonmeister!" Kwan said grinning. He moved the box toward Danny and in the same happy tone explained, "Dude, you're officially one of us now, so you can't go to school without one anymore."

"Open it," Dash said. He nudged the shorter boy towards the box.

Danny did as he was told and after a moment raised an eyebrow as he saw the red letterman jacket. He looked up overwhelmed and was so caught off guard he didn't know what to say.

Dash smirked as he asked him, "Well, what do you think Fenton?"

Danny gently pushed the box away as he said, "I-I can't accept this."

"Dude of course you can. We had it made specifically for you," Kwan said sincerely. "And if you don't then my cousin will probably kill you." Jade nodded to emphasize his point.

Jade looked at him imploringly as she said, "Try it Danny, I need to make sure it fits."

Danny looked at the round of encouraging faces around him and put down his backpack and quickly put on the jacket. Jade led him over to a nearby mirror and fiddled with the jacket for a bit before saying, "I think you look really good in it. What do you think Danny?"

"I've never worn one of these before, but I kinda like it." Danny said as he stood as straight as he could. His fingers ran through the fabric of the jacket, taking in all the detail including the curvy letters that had been used to embroider his name into the red material. He looked back at Jade and said, "It fits really well, thanks."

"Don't mention it. Oh but wait, now we have to put the finishing touch," Jade said smiling. She helped Danny shrug out of the jacket as she asked, "What's your nickname?"

"My nickname?" Danny asked, not knowing what to say.

Jade nodded and then said, "If you're very fast, how about we call you 'The Rocket'?"

"Pfft, no way, Fenton's as slow as molasses," Dash said laughing.

Kwan shook his head and retorted, "Yeah, but lately he's gotten a lot faster. Even Rick said that Fenton's good at dodging tackles and that when Fenton's in his element it's like trying to catch dust."

_'Rick said that about me?' _Danny thought surprised. The other boy had been so hostile toward him after the fight between Dash and Griffith, that it seemed ludicrous that his teammate would ever compliment him.

"What did you say Danny's football move was?" Jade said uncertainly.

In a firm tone Dash said, "When Fenton catches the ball, he tends to spin midair before landing on his feet and then he just runs with the ball if he's not already in the end zone."

Kwan laughed as she said, "Sometimes he crashes or gets tackled into the end zone just as he catches the ball. The coach gets mad at him for always hurting himself by dive bombing it. It's like you're constantly launching yourself out there on the field, Fenton."

"Kwan, that's it! Dive Bomber. Danny 'The Dive Bomber' Fenton," Jade said enthusiastically.

All three boys thought about the nickname for a moment before Kwan and Dash nodded their approval. They smiled as they looked at Danny expectantly.

Jade looked at Danny and asked, "Is it alright with you Danny? Did you already have another nickname in mind?"

Danny looked at the same three expectant faces in front of him and quickly tried to think of another nickname. Danny thought back to all the names he'd been called in the past. _'Loser, Fentina, Fen-turd, Halfa, Ghost Child, Ghost Mutt...nevermind.'_ He sighed in defeat and gave them a wan smile as he shook his head.

"No, I'll take it," Danny said simply.

Jade sighed in satisfaction as she said, "I'll set to work on it right now, just give me a few minutes. Kwan, go and close the door so no one else can come in…and take care of the shop while I'm in the back."

_llllllllll_

Danny turned to look at his friend and stammered out, "Dash, I-I just want to say-"

"If you say thanks one more time Fenton, I swear I'll clobber you," Dash said holding up a fist threateningly. "We all got our jackets at the beginning of the year because of our annual fundraiser, but you joined the team late so we all pitched in to get you one. None of us want that kind of thanks so the best way to do it is to prove that you've earned that jacket by playing an awesome game on Friday."

Danny sighed before smiling thankfully. In a firm tone he replied, "I promise on Friday that I'll play my hardest because there's a lot riding on this game, my thanks to the team...and your date with Sandra."

Dash blushed and punched Danny's shoulder, "Fenton, don't bring that up."

"I know you're worried Dash, but don't be," Danny replied encouragingly. Dash saw Danny rub his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the odd smile on Danny's face.

"We're going to win Dash, I'll bet my life on it."

_lllll_

She threw up again, this time loud enough for her father to hear her and come rushing out of his office. He hurriedly entered the bathroom and stood stock still for a moment. Snapping himself out of his shock, he pulled her hair away and placed a soothing hand on her back. She dry heaved for a few minutes, before throwing up again. He looked away as he saw the stray drops of blood run down her mouth. She panted softly before nodding and shakily standing up with his help.

He flushed the toilet and watched as she rinsed out her mouth. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, drying it on a nearby towel. She stood there looking in the mirror, seeing him behind her and quickly turned to hug him. She cried softly into his shirt and he held her just as tightly, wishing he could hold his precious daughter for the rest of his life. It was a useless wish, but he would give anything to keep her alive. He cherished every day with Sandra for fourteen years because he knew that there was always a chance she might not make it to the next.

In a muffled voice Sandra said, "Aboji, I'm scared. I'm not ready to die yet."

"I know Sandra, I don't think most people are when their time is nearing," Richard said solemnly. "But I promise that I will not leave your side when that time comes. For now do as your mother told you, for as long as your weak heart beats, just live."

End of Chapter 15

**Author's End Notes**: Overall, I bet the football coach sees Danny's speed as the strangest anomaly that he can't explain. It's simple really Danny + uniform (cover) equals_Danny Phantom_ (super fast). Danny - uniform equals_regular Danny(_kinda slowpoke in comparison). The problem is just that he doesn't know the linking equation Danny Fenton + powers equals Danny Phantom. This last disturbing scene with Sandra is I guess the prelude and perhaps another clue to what I call the inevitable.

_Spider's Shout Outs:_

_(Because it's an unverified fact that spiders have loud voices)_

**Kate**: Thanks a bunch for the e-mails chick! I updated finally and I'm happy that you kept such an interest in my fic. I hope this one didn't disappoint and hope to hear from you soon. :-)

**FizzyTopKyle**: Hey! Lol, hurray I'm not alone in using the expression "you rock my socks". I like your name by the way; it has an odd but interesting ring to it. Anyway enough of my sillyness, hope you liked this chapter too thanks for the review!

**animegurl088**: Hello! Very nice, short, sweet and too the point type of review. I like those sometimes because they add another ingredient to the blend and you can say it all without having to write a lot. Lol, thanks for the review!

**Ellen**: Hellow again! Thanks for review! Lol, yeah that Colonel is kinda whack in his behavior, but what trips me out more is that there are actually military men like him. +shivers at the memories of the person she is basing the character Colonel Perkins on + P.S if you feel bad about Dash now, wait till later. ;-)

**hittocerebattosai**: Hola! Lol, I'm sorry but I laughed when I read your review. Not in the mean way mind you, but just the expression you used made me crack a chuckle. Wow, 800+ stories? That's a lot to read! I hope that when winter break comes I can read that amount. +dreams of winter vacation+ But anyway, here is the latest chapter and I hope you like it, thanks again for the review!

**mickeylover303**: Hey there fellow DP slash fan! I think the reason why you won't find many fics out there is that not that many people seem to think D/D works, plus there was that Butch Hartman anti-slash fiasco, but anyway if you love it enough and think you're up for the challenge…why not write one? Just a suggestion. +smiles encouragingly+ Thanks so much for your kind review. I'm pleased you consider this work worth reading and I'm really glad that you can imagine what's happening in your head. (I often wonder if I'm not clear enough on details) P.S. Don't let people tell ya different, if others see the slash possibilities too, then it's not just your imagination. +wink wink+

**KimuraSato**: Lol, pooh bunnies? (I wonder if those would be as cute as regular ones…they probably would be, but just smell bad) Yeah the Butch Hartman anti-slash fiasco got on my nerves too and was that last kick in the butt to go update because I felt a little of that "fight the power" spirit. Yeah I know people are kinda grr cause I'm taking my time with them hooking up, but I promise things will speed up now (I can't delay the inevitable anymore). Lol, yeah even I realized that there's something perverted in Colonel calling everyone "private". Ah hurrah for dumb jokes I guess. Anyway, thanks for your awesome review!

**Askari Knight**: Hey….+nervously gives Askari Knight a Danny Phantom plushie as a peace offering+…um, my only consultation is that you will see lots of slashiness in the chapters to follow. And as far as Danny getting kissed, please don't worry about this either. I planned ahead and know the exact number of chapters this fic will be when I finish and thankfully there are enough dances for the chapter titles, lol. Thanks for your review and I'm sorry for the suspense!

**Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac**: Hello+imagines what it must look like to groove to a dial tone+ Lol, we all do something when we're nervous. My hands fidget and I can't keep them still unless I do something with them. On the night before I left for college I cleaned my entire house, my parents were happy, but thought I was crazy, hehehehe. Let's make a deal, I'll keep writing, but you gotta keep groovin and a shakin. Thanks for the review+Spidey dances slightly as she heads off to her kitchen for a snack+

**Isabella Rossellini**: Hey! hands Isabella Rossellini a tissue Please don't make with the water works (I sometimes become a push over if I seem them). Lol, even though I am taking forever, they will eventually get together promise. +Spidey hands her, her other handmade Danny Fenton plushie+ I hope you liked this chapter though. Thanks for the review!

**DraconWolf88**: Hey man! Thanks for taking the time and e-mailing directly with your review! It's been months since I've heard from you because it took me months to update, my bad ya know. Lol, I let someone read the Wulf fic I wrote and this person said it pretty much sucked. So I'm going to try again, but at least now it'll be easier because I have the episode. When you made the request you didn't really have a specific plot line, but I understood what you meant after I read KimuraSato's works. I should warn you though that I really am trying to finish this fic before I do anything else and so I might not update with the Wulf fic until then. Still I hope you like it when it comes out and if not I'll try again. :)

**Dazja**: Hey, it's you again:) I happen to know a lot of donkeys and they actually think it's politically incorrect to be referred to as 'stubborn'. They were going to protest on me, but a couple of veggie bribes and they kept quiet. Lol, thanks for your review. It's good your cool with the ongoing length and change of pace, but this chapter was supposed to be a bit of a halt (if I understood your meaning correctly). Just that last sunshine before things become weirder.

**authoraisarete**: Hey again! The three things, came out of the air and that air flows in the same place where the story is going to go (aka "the three things" was unplanned and so I just pulled it out of thin air). Lol, hooray, Jack has someone rooting for him at least. I can tell you that he's not going to be doing so hot the rest of story though, but things will get better for him towards the end. I hope this update didn't disappoint and thanks so much for the review!

**Ranma Higurashi**: Hey there, it's read to see you again.Lol, yeah Derek is one of the few that isn't blind and is open-minded enough to see what's changing. And I loved your animalistic response towards Griffith. Why use words when a nice sound covers it? (hw--->grrr, lack of sleep response--->growl) Lol, well anyway enough of my silliness, hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks for the review!


	16. The Molestation Minuet

Disclaimer: I'd like to own Danny Phantom, but it's just too troublesome what with the daily drudge of my life in the way…so I guess Butch Hartman should keep it.

**Author's Notes**: I'm sorry for taking so long to upload this chapter. I was not completely satisfied with it, but after rewriting it who knows how many times I think this will be best way it should be (content wise). I should also say that I guess there is more slash interactions here and Dash will unleash his "brilliant" plan to get Sandra.

**Author's Warnings**: As I already mentioned, the one person who already read this dinged me on the forehead for writing this chapter like this. I didn't think it was that weird, but oh well, nothing for it now. Still when you guys get to the end….um, just don't kill me (or ding my forehead). (⌐.⌐)

_lllll_ blah_lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah_llllllllll_dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 16: The Molestation Minuet

_llllllllll_

Dash ran barefoot through the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. His clothes hung as useless tatters covering him, but when a thorny bush caught on his jacket, he slipped out of it and kept going. He ran past all the shrubbery and vegetation around him, not stopping for a moment because if he did then he'd never catch up. The light that filtered through the tops of the trees was enough to guide him, but he still managed to trip over an exposed root.

He landed with a loud thud and laid there feeling tired. Slowly, but steadily he managed to sit up on the cold ground around him. He looked in front of him for the first time and felt awe at seeing how beautiful the forest was. More light shown through the trees and Dash felt content sitting there and taking in everything, for a moment his earlier haste was forgotten.

From the corner of his eyes he caught movement behind a nearby bush. He yelped in surprise as he saw two deer jump from behind the bush. The two creatures stood tall and graceful before him and for the instant that he caught sight of them; Dash thought they were the most beautiful animals he'd ever seen. He sensed they were surprised to see him there, but at the sound of gunshots the two deer continued to escape and run past him. Dash heard the sound of gunshots coming closer and felt a small twinge of fear.

He got up on shaky legs and ran again in the direction that the two deer had run. Dash managed to catch up to them and as he ran with them, he realized that one of them was obviously a male because of the small horns on its head. The sound of gunshots was heard again and the closeness of it made Dash run faster that he thought he ever could. He saw light up ahead of them and used his arm to adjust his eyes from the bright light. When his eyes were able to focus, he looked on in wonder at the sight before him.

Dash and the two deer were in front of a large field of tall sunflowers. The two deer kept running through and Dash was barely able to see the tops of their heads through the flowers. He snapped out of his daze and continued running, trying to catch up with the deer in front of him. As he got closer to them, he understood that they were headed into a darker forest. _'Where those hunters won't be able to find them...'_

He heard the sounds of gunshots behind him and saw the shadowy forms of what he assumed were the hunters. He looked back and realized that he could no longer hear the sound of the deer running. He caught sight of something brown in front of him and panicked as he ran toward it. Dash pushed aside a patch of the sun flowers and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the two injured deer in front of him.

Both mewed out in pain and Dash took slow steps toward them. He fell to his knees in front of them, tears slowly running down his face. With the last of their strength the two deer stood on their forelegs and licked at his tears. They laid their heads on Dash's lap and he carefully pet at their soft fur as he saw the light die from their eyes. He couldn't help the whimper that escaped him and he continued to cry. He held his head in his hands and cried out in anguish at how unfair it was. _'They didn't do anything! Why did they have to die?'_

_llllllllll_

The sound of an alarm clock woke up the groggy blond and dispelled the last vestiges of his dream. With a slow movement of his arm, Dash turned off the alarm clock's beeping. He slowly roused himself up and Dash blinked in surprise. With a shaky hand he wiped at the stray tears underneath his eyes and stared at the moisture on his fingertips. He frowned at the sight and rubbed at his eyes harder to get rid of any traces he'd cried. _'I haven't cried in years, ever since she died.'_

A tired yawn escaped him and he stretched out his body to try to wake up. He ran a hand through his messy hair and scratched his stomach as he got out of his bed. He dug around his dresser for a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. After he got dressed, he took the stairs two at a time and walked into his dining room.

"Hey Dash," Danny said smiling. The brunet took a sip of orange juice and continued eating his eggs and bacon.

"Oh honey, you're finally up. Sit down with your father and Danny and eat some breakfast." Dash's mother said cheerfully.

Dash stared at the scene in front of him, wondering if this was a dream too. It usually took nothing short of buckets full cold water to the face to get Danny up at this hour, much less up and at his house. Danny looked at his friend uncertainly, wondering if he was making his friend uneasy for showing up the way he did. Danny stared at him with a raised eyebrow and asked him if he was alright. The sound of a newspaper rustling was heard as Dash's father moved it down to look at his son.

In a gruff tone Mr. Baxter said, "Boy don't just stand there with your mouth open like a dead fish, sit down and eat."

Dash sighed and did as he was told, taking a seat across from Danny. A tasty smell caught his nose and his mother placed a plate of food in front of him. He blushed slightly when she kissed the top of his head and ruffled his already messy hair. He caught sight of Danny hiding a smile from behind his glass of orange juice.

"What are you doing here?" Dash asked him rudely.

"When your father went to get the paper this morning, he found Danny waiting for you on our stoop," his mother said smiling. She hugged at her bathrobe tighter and made her way back to the kitchen. "Honey, what would you like to eat this morning?"

Mr. Baxter took a moment to consider this and from behind his newspaper he snuck his wife a meaningful smirk and said, "Anything you give me will be fine, Amanda."

Mrs. Baxter blushed and glared at him at the same time, a look that Mr. Baxter took pride in knowing that she had developed after years of being married to him. The small exchange went unnoticed by the two teens at the dinner table who were instead engaged in their own conversation.

"You know I'm surprised that both you and your parents are awake at this hour," Danny said, trying to make conversation. His palms grew sweaty at how nervous he felt underneath the other boy's deep blue gaze.

"Yeah, it's just a habit I got from them and plus my dad has to get up early to go to work anyway." Dash said indifferently. He picked at what was left of his breakfast, not feeling inclined to eat the portion that was left.

"Yeah, at my house the only ones who ever wake up early are my mom and Jazz." Danny said smirking.

"I noticed after that time that Jazz dumped cold water on top of your head to wake you up," Dash said chuckling. "Still, why didn't you just wait for me to come over?"

Danny stared at what was left of his breakfast as he hesitantly asked, "Why? Do you mind?"

"_No_, I just wasn't expecting you that's all." Dash took a sip of his orange juice before continuing, "I usually have to throw rocks at your window or sneak in with a ladder just to wake you up."

"Yeah, well I woke up early and couldn't sleep anymore so I thought I'd save you the trouble," Danny replied distractedly.

Dash raised an eyebrow and looked at him in concern as he casually asked, "Did you have a nightmare or something?"

Danny looked up and shook his head quickly. An alarm bell rang inside Dash's head as he realized that Danny was lying to him. He looked at Danny sharply, hoping his eyes told the other boy that he didn't believe him. Their staring contest was broken by the sound of Mr. Baxter putting his newspaper down.

"If you're finished with your breakfast boy, then go and finish getting ready. I'm sure Danny is anxious to get going," Mr. Baxter said in authoritative voice.

Danny was about to say that he wasn't in any hurry, but the sound of Dash scrapping his chair stopped him. Dash looked back Danny once more before turning around and walking quickly through the kitchen door. Mr. Baxter's eyes followed his son until he was sure that Dash was out of earshot. With a stern look on his face, he turned his attention to Danny. The brunet squirmed under the older man's stare and Danny wondered if he had done something wrong.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to give you my thanks," Mr. Baxter said suddenly. He carefully folded his paper and set it down on the table.

"Your thanks sir?" Danny asked in confusion.

"Yes, I owe you my thanks for your bravery and quick thinking when my wife and Dash were in trouble. They both told me what happened and believe me when I say that I'm very thankful that you were there that day. Heroes like you are very rare nowadays Danny, it's a characteristic that you should be proud of."

Mrs. Baxter came up behind her husband and smiled as she said, "Yes, if it hadn't been for you, Dash and I would have died that day. I know you must feel awkward to hear me say this again, but thank you very much for saving us. Dash is so lucky to have a friend like you. I can tell that you're a loyal person and truly care about him."

"Yes, but unfortunately that thickheaded son of my mine can be quite stubborn sometimes. Nevertheless please continue being his friend. I don't particularly like most of his other acquaintances, but my wife and I agree that we think you've been a good influence on Dash," Mr. Baxter said. He gave Danny a small smile before taking a sip of his coffee.

Mrs. Baxter laughed a little as she said, "And trust us on that, we've seen the differences in our little boy and we know that most of them are because of you. Ever since he's met you he's always saying Danny this and Danny that, I've never seen my son so happy before."

The Baxters smiled at the funny sight the young boy in front of them made. Danny was blushing so hard in embarrassment that even his ears turned pink. He struggled to say something, but his efforts were wasted as nothing came out of his mouth. The sound of footsteps caught their attention as Dash appeared from the kitchen doorway, looking at them suspiciously. The blond boy looked at his parents' too innocent smiles, a blushing Danny and back again.

"Did you guys say something weird to Fenton?" Dash asked them warily.

Mrs. Baxter gave her son a harmless smile as she said, "Yes, we told Danny how we were going to volunteer as chaperones for your upcoming dance and we asked him if he had a girl he was going with?"

"Based on his reaction, it looks like maybe he doesn't. You're pretty popular with the girls Dash, why don't you find him a nice girl to go with?" said Mr. Baxter.

"Way ahead of you dad," Dash said smirking.

Danny looked at Dash in surprise before the other boy dragged him out of his seat. His blush had died down for the most part now and he looked back at the Baxters wondering if they lied to their son often. Dash threw a goodbye at his parents and grabbed Danny's hand before dragging him off. Danny managed to thank and bid his farewell to Dash's parents before they were out the kitchen door. Dash continued to drag him and only let him go once they were outside. Even then Danny's situation didn't improve much because the blond stood in his way and wouldn't let him pass.

"What did they really say?" Dash asked apprehensively.

Danny felt a pang of guilt for what he was about to say, but the truth was too embarrassing and it was obvious that the Baxters didn't want their son to know either. He urgently pushed Dash aside and gave the blond his sincerest smile as he said, "They weren't lying. They really did ask me that, but I didn't expect it so I didn't know what to say."

Dash sighed in relief and smirked as he said. "Yeah, my parents are pretty blunt about things like that. They don't find it taboo to ask a teenager that at all. Anyway, I was telling the truth Fenton, I really have thought about this and came up with a great plan."

"Plan for what?" Danny asked in dread.

"My plan for how you can get a girl to go with you to the dance, heck maybe you'll even get to go with Paulina." Dash said nudging him. He gave his friend an enthusiastic smile as he announced, "Just leave it all up to me...and the other guys on the team."

_lllll_

"A date auction?" Danny yelled at the top of his lungs. "_That's_ your big plan to get me a date for the dance!"

Dash put a hand over his ear and then smirked at Danny, "It's foolproof Fenton. Last week when Sandra put in her suggestion to make the dance theme 1950's style it won the student vote and she was put on the homecoming committee. The problem is that now they need to get some extra funds to make it happen."

"So you talked the other guys into participating in a date auction to raise the money," Danny said in disbelief. "If you ask me, this sounds more like a plan to make you look good in front of Sandra."

"If all goes well on Friday and Saturday then I'll get a date with Sandra and who knows maybe she'll dig me enough to buy me at the auction," Dash said confidently.

Danny sighed before saying, "At least you're optimistic."

Danny looked over at Dash and begrudgingly made a mental note to thank Jazz. As always his older sister had been right and this time he didn't have to take such drastic steps to solve his problem. His suggestion that Dash ask out Sandra had worked, granted it did take a ridiculous chain of events afterwards, but it was going to lead them to an actual date. All Danny had to really do now was just sit back and watch them kiss.

He stopped walking for a moment and felt a strange ache in his chest at the thought. If Dash didn't mess it up and Griffith didn't interfere, then in a few days his challenge would finally be over. Everything, all his efforts were paying off around him. It wasn't like the results were any different either.

When Sandra wasn't working at the diner or Dash wasn't training with him, Dash and Sandra often hung out with friends or just each other. When they hung out alone Dash would almost always call him afterwards to tell him how it went. From this Danny knew that Dash obviously had a big crush on the girl and knew that it was not one sided. He had been watching Sandra in class lately and had noticed the girl's attention shifting everyday towards Dash more. It had gotten to the point where whenever she was broached on the subject of Dash, she would instantly blush and not say a word about him.

Dash was taking an avid interest in math, constantly asking their teacher or Jack questions and refusing to go to parties because he was "studying". There was a very good chance that they could win the game this Friday if their secret weapon actually worked. Tucker and Sam had already agreed to help the hopeless blond with his third and most daunting task. The two had been working hard on a presentation and had made plans with Dash to coach him on what to say in order to convince the Colonel to let him date Sandra. It was all going to come to a close and both he and Dash would be free. _'He's going to get his life back and find true love...more importantly he's never going to know about his death or about Griffith...so why do I feel so depressed?'_

"Yo Fenton what's wrong?" Dash asked Danny. He waved a hand in front of the brunet's face, but Danny remained still as stone.

Danny was shocked out of his earlier stupor by a cold hand on his nape. He yelped in surprise and moved away from the unwelcome hand. He heard Derek laughing behind him and turned around ready to give the older boy an annoyed look, but instead he saw Jack's outstretched hand midair. Derek continued to laugh at the surprised look on Danny's face as he strapped on his helmet and walked onto the field.

"I'm sorry Danny. I didn't mean to scare you…I just wanted to say hello," Jack said, blushing slightly. He gave Danny an apologetic smile and strapped on his own helmet before joining Derek on the field.

"You alright Fenton?" Dash asked, not looking at him. Danny followed the blond's suspicious gaze till his eyes saw Jack. He looked at the quiet boy who briefly met his gaze before looking away and paying attention to their coach.

"Yeah, I'm fine…he just surprised me," Danny said, giving Dash a reassuring smile.

"I didn't mean that, I meant with whatever made you space out to begin with. You worried me because for a second there you looked...well, really sad," Dash admitted. "Dude, is…something wrong?"

Before Danny could answer they heard the loud sound of their coach blowing his whistle. The older man yelled out at the top of his lungs, "Baxter! Fenton! If you two ladies are done gossiping, the rest of your team would like to start practice!"

"No we wouldn't!" came the shout from someone in the crowd of players. The rest of their teammates laughed aloud and were only shut up by the coach furiously blowing on his whistle.

"Just for that Sanchez you can run five laps around the field!" The Coach turned back to Dash and Danny and in a terse voice said, "If you two maggots don't show me the results of your training together, I'll take you both out of the starting lineup."

With that threat hanging in the air, the coach stomped his way onto the field, the assistant coach right behind him. Danny stood there in shock, jaw open at what the coach had accidentally revealed. Dash smacked his shoulder happily and strapped on his helmet.

"I told you so," Dash said smiling broadly. "Now let's show that old fart why you deserve to be on the starting line up."

Dash strapped on his helmet and jogged towards the others. Danny paused for a moment and looked out at his team. He really had gotten better and now he knew most of the ins and outs of the game to understand how to play better. Lately he didn't always have to power up during games in order to score a touchdown. The thought made him smile and as he strapped on his own helmet he thought, _'Yeah, I think I'm starting to love football.'_

_lllll_

"D.F., you were amazing today!" Derek said excitedly. "At first you started off really bad and Joseph and the other defense were kicking your butt, then bam you just started knocking people out of your way. As much as I hate to admit it, I think your going to give me a run for my money for the second receiver position."

"No, I was just lucky and having a good day that's all," Danny said chuckling.

"Don't hide underneath a modest veil Danny-kun. Your playing was at the best I've ever seen this whole season. Everyone noticed how fast your speed and catching accuracy has improved. I'm sure the coach is going to put you in this Friday's game." Jack said enthusiastically. Danny blushed realizing how his performance had made even Jack animated.

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without Dash's help," Danny said casually. He turned off his shower and walked off toward the towel boy.

Derek and Jack joined him in the locker aisle a minute later and Danny noticed they were the only ones left in the whole locker room.

Derek toweled off and in a joking tone asked, "Now that you mention it, where did that bum go?"

Jack put on his pants and evenly replied, "He went to talk to the coach about something."

"Probably over that stupid idea he has for that homecoming auction. Can you believe that, Danny? That's gotta be the dumbest idea I ever heard. Who's going to pay good money to go out with us losers?" Derek said laughing. He quickly put on his shirt before continuing, "I swear if I didn't know any better, I'd think this was another one of Dash's stupid ideas to impress Sandra."

"Whether or not that is the case, at this point it doesn't matter very much does it?" said Jack. "There are a lot of desperate boys, who are willing to sell themselves to desperate girls, for a school desperate for dance funds. And for someone who's not even going to be auctioned you're making an awfully big deal about it."

"You're not going to be in it?" Danny asked Derek in surprise.

"Can't, I got a dentist's appointment at the same time as when the auction starts." Derek said with a dramatic sigh. "I feel just like that girl in that fairytale, you guys know the one right, Derekella?"

Danny and Jack laughed at the look on their friend's face, their laughter echoing around the empty locker room. Danny shook his head at Derek's joke and saw that the other boy had already finished getting dressed. Danny ran a hand through his wet hair to get rid of the excess water. _'Better hurry.'_

He quickly pulled on his t-shirt over his head, but somehow managed to get stuck. He struggled for a moment before a cold pair of hands gently stopped him. The strange pair of hands helped him turn around the shirt and pull his head through it. Danny stared at the pale chest in front of him and looked up to see Jack's amused smile. He looked to his left expecting to see Derek, but the other boy was nowhere to be found.

"If you're looking for Derek, he's already gone so I guess...it's just the two of us," Jack said timidly.

Something about the way Jack spoke made the hairs on the back of Danny's neck and arms stand up. He caught the faint clean scent coming off the older boy's skin and tensed as he realized Jack was leaning closer to him. Jack's arms suddenly lunged out and slammed harshly on the locker doors on either side of Danny, effectively trapping him from moving away.

"I-I have something to confess Danny," said Jack nervously. "I can't keep it in anymore."

_'Did his voice just deepen?'_ Danny thought in alarm.

Jack's head hung low almost like he was ashamed and with a small sigh he said the words he thought he'd never utter, "If I could, I would buy you at the auction."

Danny's eyes widened as he dumbly replied, "Huh? Why would you do that?"

"I would do that...because I really like you Danny-kun," Jack said slowly. "I like you as _more_ than a friend and I even think that…I-I've fallen in love with you."

His jet black eyes stared into the pair of light-blue that he'd grown to love. Light-blue eyes that told him the owner was hiding a world of secrets and the very same eyes that were looking all the more panicked by the minute. Jack threw away every fear and doubt he'd ever had about his feelings for Danny and kissed him.

A pair of surprisingly soft lips met stiff and scared ones. Jack kissed Danny with all the passion he'd repressed for the other boy show through. Danny felt the experienced lips move against his own and was too surprised to even push Jack away. _'A boy is kissing me, **Jack** is kissing me!'_ He literally shivered when he felt Jack's cold hands caress the sides of his face and pull their lips closer. Danny's emotions ran all over the place and he was caught between pushing away the taller boy and the disturbing instinctual urge to respond.

Danny suddenly felt like thousands of warm hands were touching his whole body and he sighed in pleasure. Danny surprised both of them by closing his eyes and lightly pressing his lips against Jack's, reveling in the pleasant sensation as it increased tenfold. Jack felt the change instantly and kissed Danny deeper, running his hand down Danny's smooth neck. Danny's own hands slowly fell on top of Jack's shoulders. Danny shivered in surprise when he felt Jack's hand travel down his back. _'Why am I letting Jack do this to me?'_ he thought hazily.

The two boys suddenly broke the kiss and separated away from each other. Both stood there panting and blushing furiously at what they'd just done. Danny licked his lips nervously, unconsciously tempting Jack. The taller boy shook his head and struggled to say something. He was about to speak, but was startled by the sound of the locker room door opening.

Danny quickly finished getting dressed and grabbed his things. He ran past Jack without saying a word, but ended up crashing into someone. Danny felt a pair of hands steady him and looked up to see that it was Dash.

The blond raised an eyebrow in annoyance and said, "Geezus Fenton, are you always a klutz?"

Dash gasped slightly as he caught the desperate look on Danny's face. Before he could say anything, Danny pushed past him and ran down the locker aisles. Dash looked back at Jack and saw him sitting on a bench, holding his head in his hands. Dash looked between the two in confusion before deciding to chase after Danny.

Dash pushed through the exit he saw Danny ran out of. He stopped and looked around, unable to find the brunet anywhere. He sighed and scratched the back of his head as he thought about what to do. He considered going back and asking Jack what had happened, but he doubted the other boy would tell him. A sudden gust of wind above him took him by surprise and he looked up at the sky. His eyes widened in curiosity as he saw Danny Phantom flying off into the sky, a vaguely familiar gym bag on his arm. Dash ignored his quickened heartbeat and hoped his face didn't show how happy he was to see the teenage superhero.

_lllll_

_"How did his lips taste to you?"_

Jack sat up from where he had been sitting at and grabbed his head in pain. He groaned loudly as his eyes switched between black and green repeatedly. Jack concentrated as hard as he could to push back the voice in his mind and after a few moments a green aura appeared around him. The green aura slowly seeped out and reshaped in front of him. Jack fell to his knees in exhaustion and looked up at the ghostly form in front of him. He glared at it as it shape shifted into a familiar Goth boy.

"Watch out, your face might stay that way," Griffith said in a smooth voice.

Jack slowly got up, biding his time until he could hit the other boy without killing himself. Griffith sensed the other boy's intentions and held up his hand. The hand began to glow a dark green and Jack took at step back as he saw it poised over his chest.

Jack frowned as he asked, "Who are you?"

"Griffith Demos Rolland," Griffith replied.

Jack took a step forward and menacingly asked, "No, that's who you're making everyone think you are, but you're someone else. What are you really? Why did you make me do that?"

Griffith smirked as he said, "Shouldn't you be happy? I took away your fear and helped give you one of your heart's desires."

Jack faltered slightly before saying, "No, I didn't want that. He doesn't want…he's not…you used me to hurt him. You made me-"

"Oh, but see that's where you're wrong." Griffith said interrupting him. "I didn't _make_ you do anything. I merely tapped into your mind and broke that ridiculous inhibition of yours. You could say that for a moment you forgot yourself."

Griffith stood in front of Jack, realizing the other boy was ready to hit him at any moment. Seeing that this would be his only chance he spoke, "I could help you make him yours. You've suffered with your feelings for him for a year and a half, but I can end that and give you…his love."

Jack stood stock still for a moment before quickly moving to hit Griffith. The Goth boy dodged the punch and used his powers to lift up the boy and throw him against a row of lockers. Before the younger boy had a moment to recover, he quickly pushed Jack into the lockers and twisted the boy's arm behind his back. Jack gasped in pain and was about to fight back, but stopped at Griffith's next words.

"If you join me, you will have him. If you don't, then I suggest you don't interfere with my plans or I promise to kill him right before your eyes."

Through gritted teeth Jack asked him, "Just what is it that you want with him?"

Griffith thought for a moment before grinning and saying, "He is a very useful pawn, but if he joins me then I will make him into a world class knight. One which I should mention, you might not particularly like, but if it's he that you love then once he is my knight you shall have him. That is if you too become my pawn."

Griffith placed his free hand on Jack's head and the auburn haired boy gasped as he felt his energy leaving him. Before he fell unconscious, he vaguely heard Griffith's last words, "Take your time, Minamoto, I wouldn't want you to make a hasty decision."

End of Chapter 16

Author's End Notes: ducks behind a sofa, frying pan in hand Yes I know that is an odd twist to put in, but all shall be explained soon enough. Please don't kill me for ending this on a seemingly twisted and inappropriate note. Um, thank you for reading and please review! Feedback, in any form, is always welcome. 

_Spider's Shout Outs:_

_(because quiet spiders are the creepy ones)_

**Dela the Hidden**: Hey girl! Nah, don't even trip about the reviews, you've been there (sometimes pushing me) the whole time and I think that says a lot more. :) I hope your wait wasn't in vain, I tried to make this chapter be a turning point, but I hope it doesn't make people take a step back. Yeah, Danny's only got about approx 27-26 days left so things will have to be resolved soon. Sandra isn't out of commission completely, but she and Dash are going to have some problems that's for sure. Hope you liked it and thanks for the review!

**Isabella Rossellini**: Hello again! I know, I want them to get together too, but I can't do it just yet. Still thanks for reading up until this point and for all the reviews. I suppose in some respects I am drawing them out, but it's just because I wanted to make this something that wouldn't be easy. Lol, perhaps I went overboard:)

**Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac**: Hey! If you like Danny angst, then the next chapter will give you a good snack, especially after that kiss from Jack. O.o I hope you like the chapter and sorry for the delay. Now dance because…vacation is soon here:) Hurah! Lol, thanks for the review!

**KimuraSato**: Hey! Lol, I'm a bit out of the loop, but just what is NaNoWriMo? I've seen people put it on their icons, websites and LJs but alas no explanation as to what it is. 50K sounds a little crazy, but I still wish you the best of luck. Lol, I think a lot about the last chapter was classic and I meant a lot of it more as light and humorous. Sandra and death equals correlation, but the why will be more apparent later I think. (Her death…isn't certain or uncertain, gah, so cryptic.) Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter.

**animegurl088**: Hey there! You said some very direct words, but I gave a pretty indirect response, what with taking so long to update and all. When I'm not working on this fic, I'm working on another one that will be published once I'm done writing this one. :) (Maybe you'll see it around.) Anyway, thanks for the review!

**DannysGirlForever**: Hey there new reader! Please keep reviewing! Lol, I'm glad you like the fic and I'm very surprised/pleased than you stuck it out and read all 15 chapters. I hope to see/read you again. Thanks for the review!

**Dazja**: Hello again! I'm going to be sitting on donkeys for Christmas (Lol, there's a religious implication in here somewhere) because I have no bike in Mexico. :) I'll tell them what you said when the conversation dies down, donkeys can also be pretty boring animals to talk to. Anyway, back to your review. Now I understand what you meant about the story line and It's nice to hear/read that it doesn't crash up. :) Thanks for the review!

**Ranma Higurashi**: Hey! Aw, gotta love the Griffith hate…and yet I wonder what you guys will think of him later. Sorry the massive delay, but this chapter was a bit of another turning point so I had to be absolutely sure that this was the way it should be written. I still hope you enjoyed it and thanks for the review!

**Vlad Lover**: Hey there! I hope the end of this fic is to your liking in terms of what you said in your two main reviews. You surprised me with your last review and made me smile at how beautifully blunt it was. Lol, I'm not sure if I'm going to write such an aspect on (what with banning possibilities and all) and I've never written a real lemon before because I just choose to imply it or write it very vaguely. Still, your comment brought the idea into my head if not for this fic then perhaps for another one. Well I'll stop babbling now and say thank you for the thought-pushing review!

**hittocerebattosai**: Hello! Although it might sound inappropriate I'm still going to say "Cool, I had bronchitis too". I don't think it was that bad for me because they still let me go to school, but it isn't a picnic either huh? Just look forward because in a few weeks school will give us all reprieve to relax, sleep and most importantly…read/write fanfiction! I hope you liked the chapter. Thank you for the review!

**authoraisarete**: Hey there! Yeah, Sandra isn't doing so hot and she probably won't be for awhile. As far as Griffith he's not showing up as much now because he's going to be coming up a lot more in the future. I'm glad that you like my OCs and yes I think that I've been a pretty vague about the end relationships, but that's only because I like keeping people in suspense. I think the last thing I have to say is that you are probably one of the few people who is rooting for Jack and I hope in the chapters to come that doesn't change. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Akiko**: Hey there! Sorry for the delay on this chapter, but I'll try harder to keep em coming. Thanks very much for the review!


	17. The Frustration Frug

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, I'm pretty sure I never will (unless I change my major to business and rise up the Nickelodeon corporate ladder) so for now I will console myself by making a Danny Phantom needlepoint design. :sigh:

Author's Words: More than likely a sorry just doesn't cut the cake, especially after not updating for 3 or so months. Nevertheless I would still like to apologize for not updating sooner. To the people who asked, no I'm not dead or sick I just wasn't in the U.S for awhile and when I came back my muse divorced me for a playwright, lol. If you want to stone me to death feel free to, but please read and review the fic before you do it. (I'm hoping that if you guys like it enough, you'll throw pebbles at me instead of bricks. :-P) Now as always, please sit back and enjoy!

_lllll_ blah _lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah _llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 17: The Frustration Frug

The eight teenagers sat at their usual table, but for once the social motley group ate lunch in relative silence. Dash, Sandra, Paulina and Kwan glanced up in worry at the four in front of them. Jack looked deep in thought bordering on brooding. Sam looked more annoyed than angry while the reverse was true for Tucker. Danny looked half-asleep and, by their guess, depressed because the brunet kept sighing every five minutes. Several of their attempts to bring up some cheer had flopped horribly and now the other four had run out of ideas.

A nearby crash caught their attention and they stared at the sight of Derek on the floor, wearing a big smile and what looked like this afternoon's lunch special. Jack and Dash quickly got out of their seats to help the other boy stand up. They lead their possibly deranged friend to sit at a nearby table next to theirs. The Hispanic boy plopped down on his chair and sighed happily as he took the napkins Sandra offered him.

As Derek mindlessly sifted through his hair to get food out, he said "I'm totally falling in love with her."

The sophomore turned to Danny and said, "D.F. I'm really sorry, but I going to go after your sister like she's the last taco in Amity Park."

Danny couldn't help but scoff lightly at his friend's words. After a long talk with the other boy, mostly him listening to Derek's various reasons on why he liked Jazz, Danny had warmed up to the idea that it wouldn't be that bad if the sophomore had a crush on his sister. The ridiculously happy and messy state Derek was in motivated him to speak. "What happened to you?"

"Well, I was getting some food from the cafeteria line when I spotted your sister outside. I ran after her- er I mean I casually walked over to her." Dash and Kwan's chuckling briefly interrupted him, but he ignored them and continued. "Then I saw her, in all her bewitching beauty, reading from that fruitcake Freud and eating an economical salad. Ah she's so perfect."

Paulina raised an eyebrow at the boy's words before saying, "She's really smart I'll give her that."

"And she is really friendly to talk to," Sandra said piping in. "But wait, how did you get covered in food?"

"Oh, well as I was about to go talk to her, Griffith and his band of Goth freaks attacked and pelted me with food-"

This time it was Sam who interrupted by saying, "You know just because Goths dress and act differently from you, doesn't make them freaks.

Derek raised an eyebrow as he said, "Whoa, whoa, don't get your fishnet stockings in a bunch. _You_ equal cool, smart and surprisingly nice Goth chick. _They_ equal mean, cocky and brainless Goth _freaks_ because their Griffith's cronies."

Sam dropped the scowl from her face and gave him an apologetic glance. Sandra looked at her and wondered what was making the other girlso tense. As she looked between Sam and Tucker she thought, _'Am I missing something?'_

In a quiet tone Jack asked, "That still doesn't explain why you were in such disarray _inside_ the cafeteria."

Derek grinned goofily again as he explained, "They started this really bad food fight, but luckily I managed to protect most of my angel's cleanliness. She thanked me but said she had to go to the bathroom to get rid of a ketchup stain on her shirt. I was about to follow her but Gomez's soccer ball accidentally hit my head and I slipped on the floor." He did one last glance over to make sure he'd gotten rid of most of the mess on him. He'd have to wait until practice to change out of his clothes.

"Heh, you've been hit on the head so much it's making you dumber," Dash said with a smirk.

Derek smirked back as he replied, "Then I should really be more careful before I end up in the same math class as you."

At being reminded about math, Dash turned to look at Jack. "Hey Minamoto, you're still meeting me and Fenton for a tutoring session tonight at my house, right?"

Paulina and Kwan noticed the auburn haired boy sneaking a quick glance at Danny before he said, "I'm sorry Dash, but something came up. I'll tutor you both tomorrow, same time."

With that said Jack surprised them by suddenly standing up and dumping his food in the trash. The half-Japanese boy didn't give them a second glance as he walked out of the cafeteria double doors.

"What's bugging him?" Paulina asked.

"I'm not sure anymore," Derek muttered. He stood up as well and gave them a quick goodbye. Danny saw the worried expression on Derek's face as he followed after Jack and felt a twinge of guilt. He knew that it was probably his fault that Jack was acting the way he was.

Sam watched them leave and turned back to look at the food in front of her. With a sigh she said, "I'm going to the restroom."

Paulina hide her smirk as she jovially said, "I'll go with you. I need to powder my nose anyway."

The Hispanic girl grabbed Sam's hand, purposely ignoring the daggers the other girl was sending through her eyes. Sandra chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before hastily getting up and saying to the boys, "I think I better go too."

Dash chuckled as he said, "Yeah before Manson kills Paulina."

Sandra half-chuckled at the joke, but honestly thought the Goth was in such a foul mood that she might seriously mull over the idea. She bade them a goodbye and jogged off after the two girls. Dash's eyes followed her until her petite form exited. A hand suddenly appeared in front of his face and Dash batted it away. Kwan smirked at his best friend's reaction and began to chuckle as he saw a small flush forming on Dash's cheeks.

Dash gave him an indignant glare as he said, "Shut up."

Kwan chuckled for a few more moments before turning back to eat his food. He glanced up and finally noticed the ill look on Tucker's face.

Danny noticed it as well as asked, "Tucker, is something wrong? You look kinda sick."

Tucker looked at Danny sadly and shook his head. He tried to keep his voice steady as he said, "Nah man, I'm not. I've felt like crud ever since Sam broke up with me."

Danny's early mood shifted as he heard Tucker's words. He looked at Tucker in surprise as he blurted out, "What?"

_lllll_

"Why should I tell _you_?" Sam asked Paulina angrily.

"Duh, because I'm not your enemy anymore, I'm a concerned acquaintance," Paulina said simply. "And as a concerned acquaintance I think it's necessary to tell you that you look even more terrible than usual."

Sandra was glad the hallway was empty, feeling the impending fight coming. She sighed before saying, "You guys, maybe you-"

"_A concerned acquaintance_? Don't make me laugh," Sam spat venomously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paulina asked with equal venom.

"I just find it hilarious that after everything you've done to me and my friends, you expect me to believe that you've suddenly turned over a new leaf and decided to be a _concerned acquaintance_. What are you up to? Are you trying to score brownie points with Danny by helping his little Goth friend?"

"Danny? Why would you think- no, I'm not. I'm not standing here because of him," Paulina said seriously. "Don't get so defensive when people try to help you, there won't always be ulterior motives. I'm just asking you to trust me because-"

"You think I'd trust someone who constantly deceives and manipulates people into liking her," Sam said loudly. She glared at the other girl and blurted out, "A stupid and vapid girl, who acts like she's above everyone else, but in reality, is afraid of not pleasing people."

Paulina was taken aback by Sam's words before glaring right back and saying, "At least I don't treat everyone as someone who can end up hurting me and only accept two _boys_ who I know can't completely understand me anyway. I don't complain about people's shallow characteristics and think that I'm better than all of them, when in reality I want those same people to listen to my ideas and notice me."

Sandra's eyes widened as she looked between the two. "Wow. Saying that you guys have bad blood is an understatement. Funny how for two people who hate each other's guts, you two seem to understand each other pretty well."

The two girls looked at her and then at each other. After awhile their stances relaxed, but neither said anything. Sandra seized the moment by grabbing the two and quickly dragging them into an empty classroom. At the annoyed glares she received by her two wayward friends, she merely shrugged and said, "This way you guys won't get in trouble."

Sandra watched as Paulina walked over to a nearby window and Sam leaned against the teacher's desk. The brunette rolled her eyes at the sight of the two girls being so awkward and tried to think of how her father commanded people to speak. She opted to point out the obvious, figuring that this was as bad as any other attempt she could make to open communication between two rival countries embodied in the form of her friends.

"You know you guys are acting like a bunch of immature hens right now." She saw that her words had no affect on them, but continued anyway, "Sam, I understand that you don't trust Paulina, but you can at least appreciate the effort and Paulina, you don't exactly have the best history with Sam so you can't expect her to welcome you with open arms."

"Whatever, if she doesn't want my help, then I'm out of here," Paulina said arrogantly. The Hispanic girl quickly turned to leave, but stopped when Sandra's hand grabbed her shoulder.

Sandra smiled as she said, "She never said she didn't want your help, she just said she's afraid to take it."

"No I didn't it!" yelled Sam.

"Paulina is just trying to give you another friend," Sandra countered. She gave Sam a smile as she said, "My dad told me that when a former enemy lowers their sword instead of their shield, it means that you need to trust that they aren't going to hurt you anymore, but are going to keep the shield up to protect themselves if you reject them."

Sam opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. She looked at Paulina before looking away again. A month of truce did not in her opinion make up for months of annoyance. The kind of strange civility that Paulina seemed to give her made Sam more than a little uneasy. The Hispanic girl was starting to become almost nice, still shallow as ever, but at least a bit nicer.

When Sam really thought about it, Paulina, although decidedly annoying, wasn't that bad once she had been forced to sit at the same table as her. Occasionally the other girl said things that interested Sam enough to listen, topics that seemed too serious to be mentioned by someone like Paulina. Although Sam would never acknowledge it aloud, Paulina was one of the small reasons why Dash and Danny were still able to continue their friendship at school. The Hispanic girl discouraged the catty and teasing remarks from other popular people towards Dash's new choice in friends and had gone as far as joining him with Kwan to sit at their table to prove her point.

She was shaken out of her thoughts as she felt a warm hand on her arm. Sandra slowly guided her to stand next Paulina, but only succeeded in making the two stand two desks away from each other.

Sandra sighed in disappointment as she said, "I don't know what happened between you two before I met you guys, and to be honest I don't really care. It's a selfish way of thinking and I should try to be more understanding, but I don't want to pick sides between the two of you. I like both of you equally and think you're both cool in your own ways. I just wish you guys would stop hating each other long enough to realize that you have a lot more in common than you think."

She was greeted with silence and saw that both girls refused to look at each other. Sandra sighed and muttered, "So much for chick flick moments." She coughed and quickly made her way to the door. "Ok then, I'm just gonna go back to the cafeteria now. I'll see you guys later."

"Wait Sandra-"

The brunette girl ignored Sam and walked out of the classroom. The Goth girl sighed and started to walk towards the door. The sound of Paulina calling out her name stopped her.

"Yeah?"

Paulina paused for a moment before saying, "I just wanted to say that…I'm sorry."

Sam's eyes widened, obviously not expecting an apology, "W-what?"

Paulina huffed in annoyance and said, "Geez do you want me to repeat it? I said I'm sorry, alright."

"No it's just that I- never mind. Just what exactly are you apologizing for?"

"For sticking my nose into your business," Paulina replied. "I didn't think you'd get so worked up over it, but after hearing what you really think of me, I now understand why you did."

Paulina let out a breath and nodded before moving to leave the classroom. Just as her hand touched the door knob, she heard Sam mutter something.

"What?"

Sam turned away from her and took a step away from her. She let out a frustrated groan before blurting out, "I broke up with Tucker."

Paulina's eyes widened at hearing the other girl's blunt confession and only managed to let out a small, "Oh."

_lllll_

"Wow, you got guts Foley," said Dash smirking.

"Yeah, I've never told a girl that I love her," Kwan said, mildly impressed. "Still you shouldn't have gotten mad that she didn't say it back."

Tucker looked at them in mild annoyance before turning back to Danny. "I didn't even mean to tell her, it just sort of slipped out. She just sat there before getting up and ranting about how I shouldn't have said it and that we've only been going out for a month so there's no way that I could feel that way about her. I told that I did feel that way and got mad at her for downplaying how I felt. We stood there and argued about everything that annoys us about each other until she broke up with me and kicked me out of her house."

"Tuck, you know how Sam's like, how did you _think_ she was going to react to hearing that?" said Danny.

Tucker's shoulders hunched forward as he said, "I don't know, but I didn't think she'd get angry at me. If it's my fault then what am I gonna do? I can't say I'm sorry that I love her."

"Doofus you only have to apologize for getting angry at her for not saying it back," Dash replied matter-of-factly. "Manson is the type of chick that's not used to someone feeling that way about her, much less expressing it so strongly. She was probably just overwhelmed because she didn't expect you to say it like that."

Tucker slowly face planted onto their table and said nothing. Danny placed a comforting hand on Tucker's shoulder before he said, "You know Sam thinks a lot before she knows what she's feeling and she takes even longer before she'll admit what that is. Give her some time and then go talk to her. Tell her you're sorry for starting the fight and I'm sure she'll forgive you and apologize back."

Tucker moved his head to look at Danny, "I don't know man, and Sam can be pretty stubborn when she wants to be."

"Then make sure that when you do it, you have her favorite flowers and chocolates. Chicks dig that romantic stuff." said Kwan. He smiled at them before taking another bite of his sandwich.

_lllll_

"You've got to be kidding me! You're just going to give up, just like that!"

Sam looked at the loud girl pacing in front of her and said nothing. Paulina stopped and paused a moment before looking at the forlorn girl in front of her. Puffing out her chest more, she slammed her hands on the desk Sam sat in.

"You two can't stay like this," Paulina said firmly.

"It's not for you to decide," Sam coldly replied.

Paulina surprised Sam by replying in a half-whining voice, "But you guys were like the perfect reject geek couple!"

Paulina began pacing in front of Sam, her rant growing louder by the minute, "Two people, who like each other like you guys obviously did, deserve to be together. What is so hard about understanding this? So what if you guys had a fight, it happens. You wait a while to calm down and when your head is clear, if you still want that person then you do something about it."

Sam raised an eyebrow at the other girl's logic, but before she could say anything, Paulina's earlier fervor returned.

"Eventually Tucker will accept your silence, but do you really want him to do that? Don't you want him to be with you until you can say it back? He's yours Sam, despite how you are, he's still yours."

Paulina clasped her hands together and moved over to the nearest window as she said, "Is it so wrong that at our age we feel what we think is love? Adults tell us that we don't know what it really is until we're older, but then when's the right age? If we never try to know what it's like now, then we'll never truly know how it changes when we're older."

Sam rolled her eyes and said, "Get to the point."

Paulina turned back to the Goth girl and replied, "My point Sam is that the love that Tucker has for you now might not be deep or even last, but at our age why would you care? All you need to know is that it's coming at you now and that one day it will change."

Sam closed her eyes briefly feeling her emotions rising up to the surface. She might have had a moment of weakness and told her worst enemy her problems, but she'd be damned if she cried in front of the other girl. She jolted in surprise as she felt Paulina give her a brief, but firm hug. The Hispanic girl quickly let go of her and gave Sam a small smile. Sam sat there in surprise before the sound of the bell startled her.

She felt Paulina shift gears again and saw the usual mask of calm beauty put on. Sam thought it was scary how she was able to recognize the change in expression. She got out of her seat and stood next to the other girl. She shifted uneasily before muttering a quick thanks to the other girl. As the two walked out of the classroom an awkward silence surrounded them. They finally got to the end of the hallways and stopped, both had to go in different directions.

Sam folded her arms before saying, "Just for the record, I don't blame you for this chick moment, I blame Sandra."

Paulina smirked as she replied, "Good and for the record I don't plan on spreading your secret around. It's not good gossip anyway." With that said, she walked away from the Goth girl, unable to get rid of the small smile on her face.

_lllll_

Dash snuck a glance at Danny for the umpteenth time and wondered how to snap his friend out his stupor. After seeing Danny's depressed behavior during lunch and his aggressive playing during practice, Dash figured something was seriously bothering Danny. The wind blew harshly around them as the two walked home in silence. Dash suddenly saw a flash of blue pass in front of him and saw Danny run after it. Dash watched as Danny chased after the blue knitted cap.

Dash watched in amusement as the strong wind carried the cap up and around. Each time it fell to the ground and it seemed Danny was about to catch it, the wind picked up again and blew it out of his reach. The cap finally got caught into a low tree branch. Danny jumped to grab it, but missed and slipped on a pile of leaves. The brunet winced before glaring at a laughing Dash.

With confident ease, Dash reached up and snatched the hat from the branch's grasp. Danny picked himself up and extended his hand to get his hat back.

"Finder's keepers, losers weepers, Fenton," Dash said teasingly. He placed Danny's cap on top of his own. The sight would have been funnier to Danny if he wasn't so annoyed.

In the most patient voice he could muster Danny said, "Give it back Dash."

"Why should I?"

Danny raised an eyebrow at the childish response and replied, "Because my head is cold."

"Oh, well I have just the thing," said Dash. He shrugged off his backpack and searched inside. After a moment he found what he was looking for and with a grin fetched it out. Dash quickly placed the paper hat on top of Danny's head. He stood back to look at the sight and started laughing again. Danny roughly snatched it off his head and raised an eyebrow when he realized it was a paper pirate hat made out of newspaper.

"Kwan and I were bored during study hall," Dash explained.

Danny stared at the hat for a few moments, his face losing some of his earlier annoyance. He looked up at Dash and slipped the paper hat into his jeans pocket. The blond smirked at him and tossed his back his cap. Danny caught it and placed it on top of his head.

"It's getting colder lately," Danny said. He slipped both his gloved hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket. The two continued walking calmly, the streets darkening around them.

Dash took a deep breath and let it out, watching as his breathe appeared in front of him. "What'd you expect Fenton? It's that time of the year."

Danny merely nodded and Dash racked his brain as he tried to think of something to say.

"So anyway, I wanted to ask you if you could come to my house this weekend."

Dash looked at his friend in surprise at the random request, "For what?"

"Sam and Tucker are finished working on the third challenge and they wanted to go over it with you on Saturday."

"Oh, right yeah the third challenge."

"What did you forget or something?"

"No, I didn't forget I just don't like to think about it. Anyway when did you guys want me to come?"

"Um, is two o'clock a good time?"

Dash nodded, "Yeah that's fine." Dash shifted the weight of his sports bag onto his other shoulder before saying, "Hey Fenton…"

Danny looked at Dash, but when the other boy didn't say anything he gestured for the other boy to continue.

"Is there something bothering you?" Dash scratched the back of his neck as he continued, "You just look really out of it lately and more brooding than usual. I'm not sure how much help I can be, but ya know if you need someone to listen…"

Danny stayed silent as he heard the other's words. After a moment he politely declined his friends' offer telling him that he didn't want to talk about it yet. Normally he'd tell his two best friends what was bothering him, but with both of them dealing with their own problem, he didn't really know where else to turn to. Danny knew that he could trust Dash, but he didn't know how to truthfully put to words what was bothering him.

Dash felt the same familiar feeling of annoyance at hearing his friend's words. Although he didn't really show it very much, it sometimes bothered him that Danny was so secretive. Dash trusted Danny enough to tell him all sorts of things and it hurt a little that the other did not do the same with him. He thought back to yesterday and decided to mention something that had been bothering him.

"So speaking about things that bother, what happened yesterday between you and Minamoto?" Dash asked bluntly.

Dash walked a bit before realizing that his friend wasn't walking with him anymore. He looked back and walked over to where Danny stood immobile. Dash grew worried when the brunet said nothing and gently put a hand on Danny's shoulder. Danny snapped out it and caught sight of the other boy's hand on him.

"Nothing happened between us."

As casually as possible, Danny slipped out the hand's grasp and continued walking. He walked away from his friend, not realized that he was leaving so quickly until he heard Dash's pants behind him. The blond finally caught up with him and spun Danny around to face him.

"If nothing happened, then why are running way from me?"

Danny heard the barely concealed anger in Dash's voice and looked away, "I'm not running away from you."

"Then what the heck do you call what you just did back there? If you're not running away from me, then you're running away from something. Now I'm asking you one more time, Fenton, what happened between you and Minamoto?"

"It's none if your business, _Baxter_, so just leave me alone!" Danny roughly pulled away from the blond's grip and ran. Thankfully Dash didn't follow him this time.

_lllll _

Dash was about to chase after Danny, but stopped when he caught sight of Jack. _'Speak of the devil.' _Dash followed the other boy with his eyes and saw him slowly walk into an alleyway. Dash contemplated what to do before letting his curiosity get the better of him. Dash jay walked onto the other street and carefully made his way near the alleyway. He slowly moved his head to look and saw Jack walking calmly further into the alleyway.

Dash's eyes narrowed as he spotted Griffith casually leaning against a brick wall. He moved toward Jack and the two stood face to face with each other. He faintly heard the two talking and strained his ears to hear what they were saying. He saw Griffith reach into his backpack and give Jack a manila envelope. Jack briefly peered into the contents before placing the envelope into his own backpack.

'_Why would Jack meet Griffith in such a shady place? And what's in that envelope?'_ Dash thought suspiciously.

"Hey Dash."

"Gah!" Dash yelped in surprise. He moved out of sight hoping Jack and Griffith hadn't heard him. He turned to look at the person who surprised him before relaxing as he saw that it was Sandra. The brunette raised an eyebrow at his behavior before smiling and leaning over to see what he'd been looking at.

Dash quickly grabbed her and said, "Hey Sandra."

"Hey Dash," repeated Sandra. She gave him a suspicious look that made Dash smile nervously.

"Is there something going on?"

"What? No, nothing much. How are you?" Dash asked hastily. Without thinking he placed an arm around her shoulders and ushered her away from the alleyway. Sandra was surprised by the gesture and felt her face flush.

In a nervous voice she replied, "I-I'm okay now." She realized what she'd said and mentally smacked herself. She looked up at Dash, but saw that the other boy wasn't even paying attention to her and was looking behind them. Sandra turned her head to see a familiar looking boy walking calmly toward him. His presence made Dash tense and she looked worriedly up at the blond. She managed to slip out of his hold and turn to look back at the Goth boy in front of them.

Griffith smiled as he calmly looked at them, but after a moment he shifted his attention to Sandra. His eyes ran over her before he said, "You're that girl I spilled my drink on."

Sandra gave him a polite smile, "Yeah that was me."

"I really was sorry about it. Such a cute girl like you doesn't deserve to be stained by anything."

Sandra raised an eyebrow at the odd compliment but didn't get the chance to respond before Dash stood in front of her.

"What do you want Griffith?"

"Ah meathead, it's funny how we always run into each other," Griffith said in the same calm tone, "especially when I have business to take care of. I need to speak with Sandra, alone."

Sandra moved from behind Dash and looked at Griffith curiously as she asked, "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"Oh this and that, mostly that," Griffith said airily. "Heh, I'd feel better if it wasn't in front of your oh-so-charming bulldog boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," Sandra interjected quickly. Griffith smirked after hearing the response.

"My mistake and perhaps I should just seek you out during normal school hours," replied Griffith.

"Leave her alone, you Goth freak," Dash said loudly. He moved toward Griffith, but a strong pull from Sandra stopped him.

"Dash, cut it out!" exclaimed Sandra. "He's not doing anything wrong so don't act like such a jerk."

She turned to look at Griffith, "But to be honest you are giving me the creeps by acting so secretive about what you need to discuss with me, not to mention the fact that you're not exactly the nicest guy to run into."

"Then you've heard wrong or ridiculous embellishments. Besides I merely wish to seek your counsel on the homecoming dance."

"The homecoming dance?" asked Sandra. "What do you need help with?"

Griffith smiled as he said, "Deciding on what musical selections are suitable for the event. Didn't the committee tell you? My band and I are playing at the dance."

End of Chapter 17

_Spider's Shout Outs:_

_(because the mail where I'm at is unreliable for spiders)_

_I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's read this fic so far. I loved every single comment, review, joke, flame and just all around nice words from you guys. I hope you guys liked this chapter and while I cannot guarantee to update soon, I can at least say that I plan to update twice next month. :)_


	18. The Confusing Cumbia

Disclaimer: If I owned Danny Phantom, you can bet there would be more than 3 seasons of the show. :) But there will only be that many so it's a given thing that Butch Hartman really does own it. :(

**Author's Notes**: I honestly don't know what to say about this chapter except that it sets the stage for the final conflicts in certain relationships. Oh and yes I should also say that the football play I describe is a little out there and has at least one illegal move. Aside from that I think I'll just let the chapter speak for itself and hope you guys dig it. Please enjoy and don't forget to review. :)

_lllll_ blah _lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah _llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 18: The Confusing Cumbia

Johnny the Voice had what must have passed as a forlorn look on his face as he gazed out over the field. "Well we're coming to the very end of the fourth quarter folks and admittedly, this game has had questionable playing on both sides. Coach Henderson has had more penalty calls tonight than in his whole career and enough benched players to make everyone wonder at the sensibility behind the Tritons game plan. Our own Coach Higgins has some wayward Ravens and his receiver focus tonight might have been an oversight."

"That's true Johnny, but it seems the Ravens are trying to make one last comeback before time runs out," his co-announcer added quickly. "Higgins switched running backs number 22 for number 24. And in a curious move he's added another receiver to the field, none other than number 82 Derek "The Net" Sanchez. The Ravens have one last chance to score, can they do it?"

Danny turned his head to look at Derek, who nodded at him before looking forward.

Dash smirked as he yelled, "Set…Hut!"

Danny ran forward and spun around another player about to tackle him. He quickly shifted direction and continued running diagonally until he caught Dash's pass. A Hoserton linebacker gave chase and again he shifted direction, only this time Derek came from the opposite direction. As the two passed each other, they formed an X. Before Danny was tackled, he managed to toss the ball to Derek, who caught it and continued running towards the end zone.

Derek was fifteen yards away from the goal line and he felt the burn of every one of them as he ran for all he was worth. He felt more than saw that someone was behind him, but he ignored his attacker and ran with a new burst of speed. _'I have to make it. I can't give up. I want to win this… for her!'_

"Touchdown!"

Danny drowned out the cheer of the crowd as he ran to meet up with Derek. Jack ran beside him and the two tackled their weary friend to the ground in joy. The referee blew his whistle and signaled that it was the end of the game. The Raven's fans cheered loudly from the stands some moving to celebrate with the football players on the field.

"Holy cow, ladies and gentleman, the Ravens actually managed to clench their victory. After that peculiar play executed by numbers 82 and 83, the final score of this game is 30 to 29!" Johnny the Voice yelled animatedly.

"And look at that crowd Johnny, they're literally forming an excited mob on the field," his co-announcer said with amusement

Once Derek was able to stand up, he received various pats of congratulations from his teammates that felt more like hard smacks. All around him his teammates and the townspeople cheered at their victory. He crashed into Jack during the bustle and couldn't help but half smile at his best friend. The other boy noticed the change in expression and quickly told him that they would talk later. Derek watched in surprise as the auburn-haired boy walked towards Danny. He was shaken out of his stupor however as an excited Jazz came up to him and hugged him.

"Derek, you did great!"

Derek blushed slightly and barely held the older girl in his nervousness. A sudden flash appeared before his eyes and the two quickly disentangled themselves to see a cheeky looking Sandra holding a camera in her hands. She took another picture and ran off into the crowd before the two could say anything to her. Jazz looked sheepishly to the ground for a moment before finally looking back at him.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me, I just-"

Derek quickly held up a hand for her to stop and said, "I don't care about your motives, I'm just happy that it happened." Jazz frowned at the serious tone behind his words and wondered if something was bothering him. She didn't get a chance to ask him before Derek said goodbye and excused himself.

_lllll_

As Dash cheered, he caught sight of Danny and moved to talk to him, but stopped when he saw Jack stand in front of the other boy. He saw Jack give the other boy a gruff hug and say something into Danny's ear. The auburn-haired boy eventually let go of Danny and disappeared into the crowd. Dash grew worried at the look on Danny's face and continued walking towards his friend. A flash from his left caught his attention and he looked over to see the blurry vision of Sandra holding a digital camera.

Dash smirked and proudly stated, "With this, I'm two for two Perkins. All that's standing between me and a date with you is the U.S Army."

Sandra raised an eyebrow at his tone before smirking in return and corrected, "U.S. Marines." She gave him a sincere smile as she looked at him, "I have to admit that you're doing better than I expected Baxter and more than anything I have to confess that…I'm really happy that you can do seemingly impossible things."

Dash looked at her in surprise as the meaning behind her words caught up with him. He saw her blush slightly and felt his own face heat up. The two stood awkwardly next to each other before a big group of spectators passed by them and bumped Sandra. Dash quickly grabbed the petite girl before she fell and righted her. The two jumped as they heard chuckling near them and Dash looked up in time to see Rick and Kwan standing with some of his teammates, all of them heading off the field. Dash let go of Sandra and laughed nervously as he looked at her.

Sandra smoothed out imaginary wrinkles from her jacket and nodded as she said, "Thanks. Well I better let you get going before Coach Higgins gets mad at you."

Dash nodded as he walked backwards, "Yeah, I'll see you later Sandra."

He finally turned around and turned his gazed toward the last place he'd seen Danny, but the other boy was gone. Sandra waved good bye and watched him leave for a moment, before she too turned around and walked off in the opposite direction. _'Well that was awkward.'_

"Sandra!"

The brunette looked around for the person who'd called her name and saw Paulina waving her over. The Hispanic girl was still in her cheerleading outfit and stood next to an annoyed looking Sam. She finally caught up with them and realized that Tucker was missing. The three girls walked off toward the parking lot, Sam's parents already waiting for her. The Goth girl waved goodbye as she got into the car. Sandra and Paulina waved back and watched the fancy car drive away. Sandra briefly glanced at her watch to see that her father would pick them up in 3 minutes.

Sandra turned to Paulina and asked, "Hey, where did Tucker go?"

Paulina frowned slightly and replied, "After the game ended, he excused himself and then walked off with a girl from my Spanish class."

"Yikes, I know they decided to just take a small break to think about things, but I didn't know they could see other people too."

"Yeah, me neither, but there you have it. When I asked about it, Sam said she didn't care and Tucker was free to do whatever he wants." Paulina gave her a sly smile as she said, "But between you and me, I know for a fact that Sam has nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean?" Sandra asked curiously.

"That girl from my Spanish class doesn't like _boys _as much as she likes_ girls_," Paulina stated matter-of-factly.

It took Sandra a moment to process the other girl's words. When she did her green eyes widened as she stuttered out, "O-oh! Where did you…I mean, how do you know that?"

Paulina gave the other girl a meaningful smile as she said, "Because she once told me she _liked_ me."

Sandra's face showed understanding as she looked at Paulina. She nodded slowly and said, "Yeah, I guess that's some proof."

"I was really surprised when it happened too. Still I told her that I thought she was really pretty, but just not my gender type. She took it really well and now we're just friends."

A sudden thought struck Sandra, "Hey, are you sure it's ok with her, that you're telling me all this?"

After a moment Paulina merely shrugged and said, "Hmm I'm not sure, but I trust you enough to know that you're not going to blab this all over school."

Sandra felt a warm feeling her in chest at hearing the words. She felt oddly pleased to have Paulina's trust and almost amazed that the other girl was so open towards people. Sandra bit her lip in worry before just shaking her head to clear her worries. Paulina raised an eyebrow at her, but waited for Sandra to say something.

The green eyed girl sighed slowly before looking at Paulina and saying, "Paulina, can I tell you something?"

Paulina looked intrigued as she nodded. Sandra felt her cheeks heat up as she muttered out, "It's about Dash…I kinda challenged him."

_lllll_

"You're being annoyingly quiet Sanchez. Normally by now you'd be bragging about your so called god like catching ability"

Dash turned his head slightly to see if his words had riled up Derek at all, but the older boy merely gave him a withering glare. Dash sighed and wondered if he should push the matter further. He continued to stuff his things into his sports bag, this time faster so that he wouldn't delay the other boy further.

Derek fiddled with the straps of own sports bag as he entertained the idea of telling the blond boy what was bothering him. A loud slam caught his attention and he looked up to see, Dash looking back at him, a hint of concern in the other boy's dark-blue eyes. Derek stood up and Dash followed him wordlessly out of the locker room. The two comrades walked side by side as they made their way over to the parking lot.

When they finally reached Derek's car, Dash stopped and groaned as he remembered that Kwan was supposed to give him a shirt he'd ordered from Jade's sports shop. He gave Derek an apologetic look as he said, "I'll be right back."

Derek looked at him in surprise, but said nothing as he opened the door to his car and got inside. Derek locked the doors and adjusted his seat to lie back while he waited for Dash to return.

Dash adjusted the strap of his sports bag as he jogged back toward the locker room. To save time he headed towards the gym where there was a door on the east side that connected directly to the boy's locker room. As he was about to round the corner he heard the sound of people talking.

_lllll_

It was moments like these where Danny wished that there were ghosts to fight and give him an excuse to avoid other problems. However thanks to the presence of Griffith and his cronies' in Amity Park, most of the ghosts were scared off and in hiding. Danny still remembered how much the Box Ghost shook from fear at the mere mention of G.R.I.M. and had skedaddled off after informing Danny why there was a lack of ghost activity.

Danny paced back and forth as he waited for Jack to show up. He ran a nervous hand through his still wet hair and briefly worried about the possibility that he might catch a cold. The moment he'd gotten back into the locker room he'd breezed through his post game clean up, feeling anxious the more he thought back to Jack's words.

Jack had asked Danny to meet him on this side of the gym so that they could then find a quiet place to talk. Danny felt the familiar wave of shame and disgust hit him as he remembered how he had reacted to the other's presence being so close to him. He had avoided the other boy as much as possible in the showers and locker room was glad that Jack had also kept to himself.

The memory of their kiss replayed in his thoughts and he blushed in spite of himself. No matter how much he tried to forget about it, his mind seemed bent on torturing him by recalling every detail perfectly. After a moment he groaned again, thinking back to the other realization he would have rather forgotten. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that all his strange feelings of self-hate didn't come because a boy had kissed him. The horrible fact that laid so heavily on his mind, and was becoming harder to deny to himself, was that for that first moment he'd enjoyed kissing a boy.

Hormone overload, normal reaction to body stimuli, he wasn't sure what it was. Something had made him like Jack kissing him, had made him feel good to be kissed by a boy. It should have been disgusting, felt unnatural, and been so mortifying that he should have punched Jack to get away from him. None of these he felt, nor did and because of this he now felt scared and confused. _'Do I feel this way because I actually like him back?'_ Danny thought to himself.

Danny did spend some time with the other boy on weekends and Jack was fun to be around, but the same could be said of his best friend Tucker or the ever crazy Derek. He forced his mind to think about all the times he had been with Jack and he realized that a lot of the other boy's actions toward him suddenly made sense. Jack and Derek were the ones who helped train him in the basics of football before Dash took over. He'd been to Jack's house a few times and only now could he understand why the other boy seemed so nervous about the visits. Jack probably only tutored Dash because Danny had asked, and as Danny remembered everything else Jack had done for him, the depth of the other boy's feelings became clearer.

Jack did all these things, did them despite the fact that he knew Danny's answer to Derek's question about his sexuality. The more he had gotten to know Jack, the more he had grown to like the other boy's quiet and sensible disposition. He was truly a good friend and would probably make someone a great boyfriend someday. This last thought made him blush even more and he wondered if that was where Jack had hoped their relationship would lead to after their kiss.

During one of Jazz's older sister moods, he'd had to sit down and listen to her talk about how it was normal for boys and girls to one day be confused about their preferences. She had told him that if he ever went through that phase that she would be more than happy to talk to him about it. Danny had almost told Jazz about the incident with Jack, but had chickened out at the last minute. The thought of telling his sister that he might like boys just as much as he likes girls wasn't something he was ready for. He didn't even know if that much was true or not.

It was true that Jack's kiss had made him feel different, but that could have just been because it was his first kiss with a boy. He liked the other boy as a friend and yet every time he saw him, it was becoming harder to just see him as that. Jack didn't exactly make his stomach flutter at odd moments, didn't make his palms sweaty or his heart palpitate quicker, but there was still the feel of a twinge in his chest every time Danny saw him.

He groaned aloud again as his pacing quickened, "What's wrong with me? I've liked girls all my life and it's not like one kiss from a guy makes you gay."

"No, but if you like it, it might make you bi."

Danny looked back to see Jack standing behind him. Danny fully turned to face Jack and felt a familiar pang as he looked at the older boy. Jack smiled at him quietly and gently set down his backpack and sports bag down next to Danny's. Danny watched as the other boy dug around in his back pack before finding what he was looking for.

Against his better judgment, Danny took a step closer to see what the other boy held in his hands. Jack noticed this and quickly hid the item behind his back. A school light post shone down on them and let Danny see how nervous Jack seemed. The two stood there awkwardly for a moment before Jack sighed and took a step closer toward Danny. When Danny took a step back, he tried not to let the hurt show on his face.

"My niisan um I mean my older brother, once told me that it's a nice gesture to give a token of affection before confessing your feelings to someone, but when I told you it was spur of the moment. I knew if I gave you flowers or chocolates you'd probably punch me, so I thought I'd give you this instead."

Jack quickly revealed the wrapped box from behind him and held it out before Danny. Danny felt his throat constrict and stared at the gift in shock. After a few moments he tentatively reached out to accept the gift, holding it carefully in his hands. Danny looked at the dark blue wrapping covering it and noticed how light it felt in his hands. He looked at Jack for guidance and saw the other boy gesture for him to open it.

Danny tore a hole through one side of the box and ripped along the edge as he removed the wrapping. He gasped as he saw what it was and smiled slowly at the gift. The wrapping fell to the floor as he held up the box to see that it was a model of a space shuttle inside a clear plastic box. As he looked at it, he remembered where he'd seen it before.

A few weeks ago he and Jack had gone to a collectors store on a whim and had come across model kit sets. Danny had found some for space shuttles and rockets, but his excitement quickly diminished when he saw the empty state of his wallet. Jack had offered to spot him, but Danny had waved away the gesture and joked about how he didn't really have that much to build one anyway.

Danny smiled at Jack as he said, "Thanks Jack…this was really nice of you."

Jack smiled in return and again the two stood together in silence. Jack stared at down and felt his heart beat faster as he realized that for once Danny was only looking at him. He had asked the boy to meet and talk to him because he was tired of the other avoiding him. He knew he hadn't said very much, but he had clearly told the other boy his feelings and wanted to hear what the other boy felt towards him.

"Danny, I asked you to meet me here because I know that what I did to you must have surprised you, to say the least, but I also wanted to tell you that I meant every word. I really care about you…more than you'll ever know." Jack felt his cheeks heat up slightly and waited for the other boy to say something.

Danny looked bewildered and looked anywhere but at Jack. He swallowed heavily and hesitantly asked, "W-hy me? What is it about me that made you…like me so much?"

Jack breathed a small sigh of relief at hearing the other boy's question. At least Danny hadn't run away from him again. He coughed once before saying, "It's wasn't so much a what as a when. During the summer before I came to Casper High, I was walking with Derek to the Nasty Burger when we heard a weird noise in an alleyway. We went over to investigate it and saw that it was Dash and Kwan bullying you. Dash was trying to get you to tell him where Tucker was, but no matter how much he threatened, you refused to tell him."

"When Dash saw Derek and me, he let go of you and high-tailed it away. You passed out on the ground just as we got there and Tucker burst out of a dumpster afterwards, but could only vaguely see us because he'd broken his glasses."

Danny's eyes widened in realization as he cried out, "I remember that, Dash was mad at Tucker for a small prank and chased after us. I told Tucker that we should hide in the dumpster, but Dash found me before I could get in. Wait, I remember that when I woke up Tucker told me that two guys helped us back to my house. Does that mean that you…you were the one that carried me while I was unconscious?"

Jack blushed even more as the other boy pieced it together. He nodded and timidly replied, "I remember holding you and thinking about how thin and so much weaker you were than the boys in your grade, but how in that one moment you looked so much stronger because of what you'd done. It wasn't until a few months ago that I saw who you really were and my feelings of admiration slowly changed into me thinking that you were cute."

"Cute! But I'm a guy!" yelled Danny.

Jack frowned at the other's outburst, "Yes Danny, I'm well aware of that fact." The older boy ran a hand through his auburn-hair in agitation before saying, "Look Danny, it's not that I don't understand how freaked out you must be by all this, but you must realize that it is possible for a boy to love another boy, much less finding that boy attractive."

Danny clammed up whatever he was going to say at the other's statement and felt his head reel from everything. He walked over to the nearest wall and leaned against it. Jack looked at him with concern and moved toward him.

"Don't come near me!"

Jack jumped slightly, but did as Danny asked him and stayed at a distance. "I'm sorry if I've caused you any pain, it was not my intention…I just couldn't keep in my feelings for you anymore." He turned away from Danny, completely intending to walk away before he caused the other boy more pain and confusion.

"What do you want from me?" pleaded Danny. "I don't understand what a guy like me could possibly give you."

Jack stopped at hearing Danny's words and turned around in time to see Danny standing close behind him. He put down his back pack and took slow steps toward him, giving Danny the chance to back away from Jack if he wanted.

They were less than a foot away from each other when Jack spoke, "I want you to be with me and someday say that you love me back."

Danny blushed as he saw Jack come closer to him, but stood frozen as the other boy ran a hand through his hair. Jack's thumb carefully traced a line from Danny's temple to his jaw line before gently caressing the smooth cheek. Danny felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw Jack's face slowly coming closer to his. Jack's hand tilted his face up slightly and Danny felt his heart beat faster as Jack kissed him.

Jack's lips were gentle on his at first, but eventually the kiss deepened enough to draw a moan from Danny. As the kiss continued, Danny began to feel the familiar warm sensation of dozens of hands all over his body. Surprisingly enough it was Jack who pulled away first, needing to catch his breath. He opened his eyes in time to see the wanton look fade away in Danny's own.

Danny stared up at Jack and blushed as he realized what had happened. Jack smiled at him and gave Danny a quick kiss on his forehead. He hugged the other boy and felt as Danny hugged him in return. After a moment he slowly pulled away from Danny and took a step back.

"You know now how I feel about you, but I still don't know how you feel about me. I want to take things slow so all I ask of you right now is just to think about it. Think long and hard about what you want and if you're willing to give a _guy_ like me a chance."

Danny looked away from the honest and open gaze in front of him and carefully asked, "No matter what I decide, will we still be friends?"

Jack smiled gently as he said, "With some initial difficulty, but yes we'll still be."

Danny watched the other boy gather his things and look at him one last time before finally leaving Danny alone.

_lllll_

The window fogged up completely as Flora phased through it. The blonde girl floated a few inches off the floor to ensure she didn't wake up her target. She stood in the middle of the room and took in her surroundings. Her eyes shone with barely concealed interest as she gazed at all the simple furniture of Dash's room. A group of picture frames on Dash's dresser caught her attention and she floated closer to get a better look. Each frame held a different image and from what Flora could gather, each one seemed to show Dash with the people he cared about most.

She looked through each picture carefully and studied the different expressions on their faces. Each picture was nothing more than a simple moment captured and yet to her, their life and the emotions present, felt stronger than any power she could possess. Flora shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned back to the matter at hand.

While the rest of her face remained emotionless, her green eyes shone with determination. She quickly turned back to Dash and stood over his prone and disheveled form. She watched the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and noticed the sharp movements beneath his closed eyelids. _'He's already dreaming...this will be easier,'_ she thought.

She gently placed her hand above Dash's forehead and concentrated. Her green eyes began to glow as she used her powers to open his mind. After a few moments their minds connected and Flora found herself within the sphere of his dream.

Flora felt the cool sensation of wind in her face and opened her eyes to a familiar sight. The sun shone brightly within a perfect blue sky and as Flora took in her surroundings she realized she was somewhere in the town park. She gazed out over the heightened splendor of the landscape before her and instantly recognized what type of dream Dash was having. The faint sound of someone sleeping caught her attention and she carefully walked over to a nearby tree. Making sure to keep most of herself hidden she cautiously peered around the tree and came upon a sight she had not expected.

Dash, Sandra and Danny were snoring lightly as they slept underneath the cool shade. Dash's head rested on his folded up jacket while one of his arms curled around Sandra whose head lay on his chest while the other rested atop Danny's chest. Flora saw that the halfa was using Dash's stomach for a pillow as the three slept on oblivious to her presence.

Flora watched the scene in mild confusion and wondered why Dash would be dreaming such a thing. Sandra's presence was understandable, but Danny's was not something Flora expected in the least. From the data G.R.I.M had on Dash, there was no mentioning of any viable interest he possessed on Danny. Reports clearly indicated that due to the contract with Griffith, contact between the two had increased by 200 and led them to develop a complicated friendship. However the scene before her seemed to speak of a different mentality hidden within Dash's subconscious.

Flora pulled her mind away from Dash's and blinked as she returned back into her own body. She lifted her hand off the forehead and stared at the blond as she contemplated how to proceed. Clearly the dream sphere was in fact a dream and could be classified as a fantasy based on the color distortion. The scene seemed to reflect some hidden feelings that Dash obviously didn't reflect on enough.

As Flora stared down at the peaceful expression on Dash's face, Griffith's orders reverberated in her mind. She slowly raised her hand and prepared to carry out her leader's will. She closed her eyes and prepared to reenter Dash's mind sphere. The tips of her fingers touched Dash's forehead before his head shifted away from her grasp. Flora placed her hand back on the blond's forehead, but again Dash moved his head out of the way.

After several failed attempts Flora moved away from Dash altogether and turned invisible as a precaution. The intensity of her gaze escalated as she watched Dash slowly fret and fidget. The blond began to moan and grunt in what appeared to be frustration.

"Jack…Griffith…let go of them...no, stop."

Flora heard the hurt within Dash's words and felt a pang of guilt for what she had been about to do. _'He is nothing more than a simple human and yet the moment his life became intertwined with Danny's…he became someone who others would die to protect, but Griffith is going to…still kill him.'_

Flora brought her face closer to Dash's and quickly placed a kiss on top of the blond's forehead. She stood back and waited, her eyes reflecting her anxiety. After a few moments Dash's restlessness slowly stopped and the boy slept on in peace. The barest trace of a smile graced Flora's normally unemotional features, but it was gone as Flora realized the extent of what she had just done.

For the first time in her existence as an agent under Griffith's command she had ignored a direct order from her superior. In spite of how scared she felt, a flutter of uncertain happiness slowly filled her at her own actions. With such a small action she felt more fulfillment than any of the thousands of missions she had done in the past. She didn't understand why bringing comfort to a complete stranger felt so natural. All she really knew was that from this point forward she was bound to die by Griffith's hands.

_lllll_

Derek's vision blurred as he looked through a black photo album, turning each page very slowly. He was startled out of his stupor when he heard a small tapping on his window. He glanced at the clock on his night stand and frowned in annoyance at how late it was. He got up and set the photo album on his desk before moving to his window.

He heard the tapping again and sighed, already knowing who it was. He moved his curtains aside and sure enough Jack stood outside the window. The two stared at each other through the glass, one looking in patiently while the other looked out in anger.

Derek finally unlocked the window and pushed it open enough for his best friend to climb in. Jack carefully stepped through and set his things down on the floor. He turned back to close the window and saw Derek through its reflection. The Hispanic boy sat cross-legged in the center of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees as he gazed out at nothing. Jack noticed his best friend was already in his pajamas and bent down to retrieve his own from his back pack. He was almost done changing into his night clothes when he heard Derek speak.

"You're hiding something big."

Jack paused, but continued pulling the shirt over his head before he answered, "Yes."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Yes, but not until the day after tomorrow," said Jack solemnly. Now completely dressed for bed, Jack turned back to Derek and carefully climbed into his friend's bed. He sat facing Derek and mimicked the other boy's position.

Derek nodded slightly, "Yeah, that's a good idea. Tomorrow is her anniversary and no offense to you, but I don't want to think about anyone else but her. It's the only time I really honor her memory."

Jack smiled gently and came close enough to tap his forehead against his friend's. "That's not true, you honor her memory everyday in small ways, but tomorrow is the day we celebrate her the most and actually pay her a visit."

Derek's vision blurred worse than it had moments ago and his chest felt heavy. He nodded again and felt the trapped wetness in his eyes escape and fall down his cheeks. Before he could wipe it away, Jack grabbed his arms and kept them at bay. Derek looked at him in mild annoyance feeling the pain in his chest increase as he saw his friend's encouraging smile.

He took a deep breath and gave in, feeling the repressed sorrow overtake him as he cried quietly. He felt Jack ruffle his hair gently and Derek slowly moved closer to the other boy. Jack scooted over until they were sitting side by side and wrapped his arms around Derek. The two friends held each other, neither one wanting to directly look at the other as they cried. Jack felt the beginnings of his own tears sting his eyes as his friend held him.

When Jack trusted his voice not to tremble, he slowly said, "Let's remember to tell your mother that we won the town Math Wizard Team Competition last month. I think she'll be really proud of us for that."

End of Chapter 18

**Author's End Notes**: I hope you guys didn't gouge your eyes out when you read the Danny/Jack moment and I hope you don't gouge your eyes out at the Dash/Danny moment in the next chapter. Moving on to other aspects in the fic, yes, the "her" throughout Derek's perspective refers to Derek's deceased mother who, as mentioned in an earlier chapter, was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. Meanwhile Agent Flora of G.R.I.M is messing with Dash's dreams, but not carrying out Griffith's orders. Jack is trying to get Danny to love him back, but isn't being completely honest to the halfa. Next chapter will reveal some of the fallouts of what happened in this one, including some Dash perspective, Griffith activity and Sam/Tucker civil war moments.

Now that I've hinted at so much without saying anything clearly, thank you for reading this chapter and as always please don't forget to review. :)

_Spidey's Shout Outs:_

_(because a loud spider is easier to find) _

**KimuraSato**: I corrected the mistakes you found in the fic and a few others that I missed the first time around. I just can't catch or see all the mistakes sometimes and I'm happy when people catch them for me. (If you catch some in this chapter, please tell me.) The fact that Griffith has a band is only important because it gives him a chance to mess with Danny's plans more. Anyway thank you so much for the constructive criticism and very nice review.

**hittocerebattosai**: Lol, thank you for the very nice review and I hope you liked this chapter as well.

**animegurl088**: I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!

**MorganEddasil**: Hey there. Yeah, if you thought I was evil before, I'm sure this chapter must have down right made me a demon. I tried to make Jack the anti-love interest because he cares a lot about Danny and everything, but it's not clear how pure his motives are anymore or if he's joined Griffith. I can see why you're so tempted to pair those two together and chapters to come will involve their relationship more, but in the end this is still a Dash/Danny fic. Anyway enough of my rambling thanks so much for the awesome review.


	19. The Suitor Salsa

Disclaimer: If I owned the show, it'd probably stink because of all the accidentally-on-purpose slash I'd force the animators to draw. Since there are very rare slash fan service moments in the show, it's safe to say that Butch Hartman still owns it. --

Author's Notes: First off I wanted to say that I edited a few chapters and have changed the timeline a bit, so as of right now, Danny has approximately 23-22 days left to complete the challenge. (I pretty much gave myself 4 extra days.) I hope no one is bothered by this, but to be honest I needed a bit more time to add in one last thing for the end of this fanfic. .

I will admit that this chapter was rather hard to write and I had to leave the parts that involve more character development for later. Still I hope you guys are ok with it being less of an inner thinking chapter and more of an action chapter (Um…no not _that_ kind of action.) As always please enjoy!

_lllll_ blah _lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah _llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 19: The Suitor Salsa

Sandra stepped into the living room and watched in amusement as Danny paced back and forth. Occasionally the brunet stopped to look at the door that connected the living room to her father's study. She sighed and in a friendly tone asked, "Danny, are you sure you don't want something to drink?"

Danny stopped and looked at Sandra with a smile as he replied, "Yeah, but thanks anyway. Geez they've been in there for over half an hour now, what's taking so long?"

Sandra chuckled as she said, "My father is a very stubborn man when he wants to be and I'm sure he didn't expect to see you two on our doorstep this evening."

"Oh yeah, have I mentioned how sorry I am about that. For some reason Dash was really adamant about doing this today."

Sandra blushed as she said, "He sure is persistent and he works fast."

Danny smiled as he replied, "Because he really likes you Sandra."

Sandra shook her head and smiled back. "Never mind that now, I just wanted to let you know, dinner will be ready in ten minutes and you're more than welcome to join my dad and me."

"Thanks, but I better call my parents first to ask if it's ok."

"There's a phone in the kitchen you can use, the one in here doesn't work ever since my dad 'fixed' it." Sandra led the way and Danny took one last glance at the door to Colonel Perkins' office before following after her.

Danny noticed Sandra absently fiddle with a long necklace and said, "That's a nice necklace."

Sandra looked at it for a second before smiling and saying, "Thanks, it was my mother's."

_lllll _

Dash looked braver than he felt as he stared back at Colonel Perkins. He tried not to shrink back in his seat under the older man's hard gaze. He'd finished his presentation four minutes ago and been asked to sit down on the green chair in front of the Colonel's desk. The Colonel was the first to look away as he grabbed a pen and notepad from his desk and began to write down something.

"As you can imagine Private Baxter, working for the military requires me to move around quite a bit. As a result I have been able to show my daughter much of the world, but at a very costly price. Given that our time constraint will limit our stay in your town for only a year, I feel that in that time my daughter has a small chance to settle down for awhile and have some 'fun' before it's too late."

Dash simply stared at the man and wondered what he was writing. He said nothing though and raised his gaze back at Colonel Perkins. The Colonel set his pen down and pulled open a drawer on the left.

As the Colonel searched for what he was looking for, he continued talking. "Your request to take out my daughter was very well thought out. I especially liked the pie charts demonstrating the amount of time you'd be spending with her in the future."

Dash blushed slightly and said, "Thank you sir." _'Too bad it wasn't me who really did them. I gotta remember to thank Foley and Manson again for helping me.'_

"As you know," Colonel Perkins said, as he found what he was looking for. Dash saw it was a large stamp and frowned slightly in confusion. As he inked the stamp, Colonel Perkins calmly said, "I am of the firm belief that my daughter can go out once she turns fifteen. However given recent circumstances, I believe that I no longer have a choice in the matter and so for my daughter's sake, I hereby grant you your request, Private Baxter."

Dash's mouth hung open in shock at hearing the older man's words. Colonel Perkins soundly stamped the paper he'd written on before and placed the stamp and everything else away. He ripped the sheet of his notepad and pushed it forwards towards Dash.

Dash quickly snapped out it and gave the older man a critical glance as he asked, "With all do respect sir, how come you're being so lenient all of a sudden? A few minutes ago you said I wasn't good enough for your daughter."

"If it surprises you that much Private Baxter, then perhaps I should reconsider my offer," said Colonel Perkins sternly.

"No! I mean, no sir, thank you for agreeing to let me see your daughter," Dash said quickly.

"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched Private, you've yet to ask my daughter, much less receive her formal acceptance of an outing with you."

Dash leaned forward slightly to see the paper and he saw what looked like a hand written contract with a big mark at the corner that said 'Approved' in large red letters. He tentatively reached forward to pick up the sheet of paper, but stopped when Colonel Perkins stuck a hand on the paper's edge.

"Before you take this, I need you to promise me one thing Dash."

Dash was surprised to hear the Colonel use his first name, already used to the military ranking one. He nodded and looked at the older man curiously.

Colonel Perkins paused for a moment before firmly saying, "When the time comes, you must promise me that you'll let my daughter go."

_lllll_

Danny and Dash waved goodbye to Sandra and her father and turned to walk down the street. Danny zipped up his jacket when a sudden breeze hit him. His elbow bumped into Dash's and he mumbled an apology to the other boy.

Dash paid him no attention and walked in a daze beside him, a goofy grin plastered on his face. Danny smirked at his friend's expression and placed his cold hands in his pockets. The two walked on in silence, but eventually came upon a young couple holding hands. The two sidestepped the amorous duo and Danny smiled at them, recognizing them from his math class.

He turned to look back at Dash and saw that the other boy no longer wore the same happy smile on his face and looked suspiciously like he was frowning at Danny. Dash continued walking and after a moment he heard Danny's hurried steps behind him. The brunet caught up with Dash and again the two walked on in silence, only now Danny felt a small tension between them.

"Thanks, Fenton."

Danny looked at him in surprise, not expecting to receive thanks from the other boy. He nodded slowly and replied, "You're welcome Dash."

Danny looked at Dash from the corner of his eye and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

Dash turned his head to look at him and mulled over how to go about bringing up such an odd subject. Danny seemed to notice his anxiousness because he stopped walking and in turn forced Dash to stop. At first Dash shook his head no, but then thought better of it and nodded.

Danny looked up at him expectantly and a little worried, making what Dash wanted to say all the more awkward. He thought better about what he was about to say and realized that now was probably not the best time to talk about that.

"No, not really," Dash said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Danny didn't buy it, but humored the other boy. "Oh, it's just you looked like you had something on your mind? Maybe something you wanted to say to me?"

Dash fidgeted with the zipper of his jacket and quickly stopped when he saw the nervous habit. Annoyed at his own cowardly behavior, he squared his shoulders and looked straight into Danny's eyes. He might not make the other boy understand, but he'd damn well get something else off his chest.

"You're a good friend Fenton."

Danny's eyes widened at the other boy's words and he stuttered out, "Um, thanks Dash, you are too."

Dash quickly shook his head and said, "No…I'm actually _not_ a good friend to you."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked him.

"I've realized two things about our friendship, Fenton." Dash paused for a moment to think about how to phrase what he meant. He looked back at Danny as he said, "Even though we're friends now, our past is…like an invisible wall between us. It made me realize that no matter how much I want to put the past behind me, what I do now will never make what I did then right. And for that I'm…sorry."

Dash sighed in frustration before blurting out, "Then there are times that you confuse the heck out of me."

The other boy's outburst startled Danny and he took a step back from the blond.

"You're standing right in front of me, but it's like I don't really see you. I used to think I was crazy for thinking about you like that, but now _I know_ that it's because you're hiding something."

He gauged the other boy's reaction and saw a bit a fear sneak into the pair of blue eyes looking at him. He gave the other boy a small reassuring smile as he said, "The other thing I realized today, is that it's ok. It's ok if you have big secrets that I don't know about and even if it takes you awhile to really trust me back, what matters is that I know someday you will."

Danny stood speechless for a moment, completely thrown off by Dash's words. He felt a strange twinge of warmth in his stomach as he saw the sincerity in Dash's eyes. Danny felt a strong breeze blow at them again and he closed his eyes at its harshness. When he opened them again, he saw that Dash was watching a small pile of autumn leaves scatter and swirl away from them. Dash smiled slightly at the leaves, for the first time in a long time, his face looking relaxed and at peace.

_lllll_

Tucker, Danny and Sam carefully peered over the bush they were hiding behind. Tucker looked through his binoculars and gazed out at the busy park scene before him. When he spotted what he was looking for he readjusted the lenses to zoom in.

"There, over by the fountain," Tucker said pointing.

Danny took the proffered binoculars and looked at where Tucker was pointing to. He spotted Dash and Sandra sitting on one of the cement steps that led up to the fountain. The two were talking and laughing as they fed some birds. Sam poked his side and Danny gave her the binoculars.

Sam looked through them and said, "It looks like they're having a good time, Danny."

"Yeah, are you sure we need to spy on them?" Tucker asked.

"I'm sure. I wouldn't put it past Griffith to show up and try to mess up their date. We have to stop him in case he tries anything."

Tucker and Sam hid behind the bushes again and sat down on the grass to wait. Sam glanced at Tucker from the corner of her eye and saw the boy playing a game on his PDA. She sighed and reached into her backpack to get out her book. She sat more comfortably on the grass and began to read. Tucker casually shifted his position and managed to catch a glimpse of Sam. He stared at her for a moment before going back to his game.

Danny continued to observe, oblivious of the tension behind him. He adjusted the binoculars again and zoomed in on Dash and Sandra. Sandra was making wild gestures and talking animatedly about something, Dash held his sides as he laughed at what she was saying.

The rest of the hour passed uneventfully and Danny was beginning to fall asleep. A bird landing on his arm startled him and he realized that Dash and Sandra were gone. He quickly looked through the binoculars and searched the landscape until he came upon the two, making their way over towards a paved walkway.

"Guys, they're leaving, let's go," Danny said hurriedly.

Sam looked up from her book and quickly stashed it back into her backpack. She saw Tucker had fallen asleep next to his PDA. For a moment a gentle smile came to her face before she quickly hid it and nudged Tucker's legs with her boot. After a particularly harsh hit to his knee, Tucker woke up with a groan of pain and held his knee.

"What'd you do that for?" asked Tucker in annoyance.

"To make you get up. Dash and Sandra are leaving," Sam said matter-of-factly. Sam left him and kept a steady pace with Danny, who was already following the couple.

Tucker quickly grabbed his things and muttered to himself, "I liked it better when she'd kiss me awake."

_lllll_

Sam silently groaned to herself as she was forced to watch the lovey-dovey scene in front of her. After the park, Dash and Sandra had gone to the movies, subjecting the spying trio into a 1 hour and 57 minute romance comedy that Sam could have lived without seeing. Much to their disappointment, the pair did not kiss and the only ray of shining hope out of the abysmal cinematic setting was that Dash had moved his arm around Sandra without getting punched.

Sam took a sip of her drink again and continued to watch Dash and Sandra from her vantage point. The couple was currently inside the arcades and still oblivious to the Goth girl's presence in the nearby food court. She checked her watch again and saw that only 4 minutes had passed since Danny and Tucker had gone off to the bathroom and stuck her with watch duty.

She sighed again and watched as Dash and Sandra continued to play a racing game against each other. Dash looked like he was concentrating very hard on winning, in contrast to Sandra who wore a smile and moved the wheel with easy gestures. After a minute, Sandra laughed as Dash groaned loudly and threw his hands up in frustration.

Sam couldn't help but frown a little at the scene in front of her. It reminded her of all the times she and Tucker had played video games against each other. Sam quickly clamped down on her train of thought and shook her head to clear them away. She was not going to think about this now. When she looked back up at the arcade, Dash and Sandra were gone.

She panicked for a second and quickly stood up to see where they were. She looked all around her, but couldn't find them anywhere. Sam pulled out her cell phone and quickly called Danny. After the second ring, he picked up and answered.

"Danny, we have a problem."

"What, is it a ghost?"

"No, it's Dash and Sandra. I took my eyes off them for a second and now I can't find them anywhere." Sam stepped through the arcade, her eyes roaming over everyone inside. "I'm sorry, but I think they left the mall."

"Darn it," Danny said in frustration. "Ok, I'll fly around town and see if I can spot them from the air, you and Tucker look for them on the ground."

Sam suppressed her annoyance and replied, "Alright, tell Tucker I'm at the entrance of the arcade." With a loud clap, she closed her cell phone.

"What happened?" Tucker asked in worry.

"Dash and Sandra are gone. Sam's waiting for you at the arcade. I need you two to search on the ground, go to places where people hang out at a lot and call me if you find them."

Danny was glad the bathroom was empty as he quickly transformed into his alter ego. He became intangible and hurriedly flew through the bathroom ceiling. Tucker sighed in annoyance and grudgingly made his way out of the bathroom and towards the arcade. He could only guess how bad the rest of this day was going to be for him.

_lllll_

Danny had been searching for Dash and Sandra for nearly an hour now and was beginning to grow worried. He'd gotten to the point where he'd flown down nearly every street in downtown Amity Park and still found no sign of them. The sun was going to set soon and make it harder for him to search.

He heard loud giggling and turned in the direction of the sound. He flew down and became intangible as he looked around the side of a building to see Paulina and Star laughing as they walked down the sidewalk.

Paulina smirked as she asked Star, "Didn't you think it was cute how Dash blushed when I asked him if he was on a date?"

Star giggled, "Yeah, I've never seen Dash react like that. He must really like Sandra."

_'They're talking about Dash.'_

Danny quickly hid behind the building and transformed back into his normal self. He came around the corner of the building and crashed into Paulina. The two fell backwards and Danny saw stars as he sat up. He held a hand to his head and looked up to see Star helping Paulina up.

"Like what's your major malfunction, Fenton?" Star said in annoyance.

Paulina held up a hand and smiled as she said, "Star, it's ok, Danny is always clumsy when he's in a hurry."

Danny gave her an apologetic smile as he stood up. He casually dusted himself as he said, "Sorry for bumping into you Paulina."

"It's ok, sometimes I like running into certain people." Paulina said, giving him a charming smile.

The effort was wasted as Danny got right to the point, "Have you seen Dash?"

Paulina raised an eyebrow at the question and nodded as she said, "Yeah, we just saw him and Sandra coming out of the Nasty Burger."

Danny smiled and urgently asked, "Do you know where they were heading for?"

"Um, I'm not sure, but I think they said they were going to the observatory."

"The observatory," Danny nodded. "Ok, thanks Paulina."

Danny quickly ran off down the sidewalk, Paulina and Star giving him weird looks.

"Did he just ignore your flirtation?" Star asked in mild surprise.

"Yes," said Paulina in a suspicious tone. "I think something's wrong with him."

"Like he's gay or something?" asked Star.

Paulina gave her an annoyed glance as she said, "No, I mean like something is _bothering_ him."

_lllll_

Sandra looked up in awe at the artificial night sky spinning in the covered ceiling of the theater room. She and Dash sat in the center of the auditorium and watched as the projectors flashed the story of how the Earth was created. Dash smiled as he saw the scene of the sun forming and casually set his hand over Sandra's. The brunette blushed at the action, but did not remove his hand.

Sandra had been surprised at first when Dash had insisted they end the day by going to the observatory atop of Dozer Hill. When they arrived Sandra had pointed out that the hours clearly said they were closed on Sunday. Dash had merely smiled as he'd dragged her to the back entrance and knocked in an odd rhythm against the door. After a moment his efforts were rewarded by the door opening to reveal Dash's friend, Wally.

The man had welcomed them in and introduced himself as the assistant manager of the observatory. He led the way to the theater room and told them to sit back as he ran the computer program that activated the movie. When it was up and running, he'd told the two he'd be in his office and to come get him if they needed anything. Both had thanked him and gone to find seats.

Now as the movie came to a close, the two sat in a comfortable silence and watched as the projector seemed to display the computer's screen saver that displayed different galaxies. Dash was glad for the second distraction because he now had no idea what to say. Except when they'd been at the movies, the two had talked during most of their date. An inner voice had chided him on this and told him that this was no different from the times they hung out together. The only difference really was the times that Dash got to touch Sandra.

He looked down at their hands which had intertwined sometime during the observatory movie. Sandra noticed where he was looking at and was glad the auditorium was dark enough to hide her blush. The two looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, both unsure about what the other was thinking.

In the end Sandra's politeness saved her and she smiled as she said, "Thanks Dash, I had a lot of fun with you."

"Yeah, same here," Dash said with a smile, "but to tell you the truth, I was really surprised that your dad let us go out today."

Sandra shifted in her seat as she said, "Yeah, so was I. I guess whatever you told him yesterday convinced him. By the way Dash, what did you say to my dad? You and Danny didn't let me see your presentation board and my dad told me not to ask."

Dash shook his head as he teasingly said, "Nothing I want to repeat right now."

Sandra gave him a fake pout as she replied, "Fine, you meanie, then I'll just ask Danny."

Dash chuckled as he said, "Fenton's been sworn to secrecy so he won't tell you either."

Dash raised an eyebrow as he saw Sandra try to stifle her chuckling. He gave her a curious look as he asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Sandra quickly composed herself and smiled as she said, "Well it's just that I think your friendship is cute."

"Cute?" Dash said appalled.

"Ok bad choice of words, how about nice?" Sandra offered. "It's just that Paulina told me that you used to bully Danny a lot in the past, but when I look at you guys now, it doesn't seem possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, even though you do tease him a lot, at the same time when I see you two together, I can tell you guys really care about each other. It's like whatever bad blood you two used to have, it doesn't seem to matter now because you're friends. I'm not sure if that's how it really is, but at least it's true that you two do trust each other somewhat."

Dash looked at her for a moment before giving her a wide smile. He felt an inexplicable feeling of happiness at her words and realized they were exactly what he'd needed to hear. He looked back up at the ceiling and saw a galaxy that he vaguely remembered Danny calling the Andromeda Galaxy.

"I told your father that I would do my best to protect you and make you smile," Dash admitted, his face flushing slightly.

Dash turned his head to look at her and tightened his hand around hers. Sandra looked back at him and grew slightly nervous. The two stared at each for a long moment before Dash leaned forward slowly. Sandra gathered her courage and followed suit. Before they could kiss however, they heard a loud crash.

Sandra looked to where the noise came from and gasped as she saw a cloaked figure floating by the projector. Through the darkness of the hood she made out two glowing green eyes. The figure floated closer to them and raised a cloaked hand toward them.

In a thunderous voice it bellowed out, "Protect her from this."

_lllll_

Danny flew as fast as he could toward Dozer Hill. The cold night air contrasted with the angry flush on his face. As soon as he'd found out about where Dash and Sandra went, he'd called Tucker and Sam and met up with the pair. Before they could head over to the observatory however, Danny's ghost sense had gone off.

Danny saw the cause was a slimy bat ghost terrorizing people inside a supermarket. He'd quickly moved in to fight it, but the ghost was hard to catch even at Danny's top speed. Eventually their fight became a battle of sound as the two used their ghost wails against each other in the parking lot. Danny's proved to be stronger and he'd managed to throw back the bat ghost several feet across the concrete. Sam had thrown him the Fenton Thermos and Danny quickly sucked in the annoying ghost.

Tucker yelped in surprise as he caught Danny's attention and pointed toward the sky. Danny saw that Griffith stood on top of the supermarket building, a smirk of satisfaction on his face. Danny had growled at him in annoyance, already knowing that Griffith had been the one to let loose the ghost. Before Danny could reach him, Griffith's body turned into a gas form that swirled quickly before disappearing altogether, the resonating sound of his laughter had been all that was left.

Danny held the Fenton Thermos tightly in his hands and flew lower as he saw the observatory come in sight. Without hesitation he zoomed towards it and phased through the building. He slowed down and floated a few feet off the ground. He quickly formed a green light in his hands to find his way. When he found the familiar door that led to the main telescope room, he phased through it and looked around. The room was in relative silence, a young man sat asleep at one of the many desks lining the edge of the wall.

Danny heard a distant crash from the far wall behind him and saw his ghost sense appear. He quickly phased through the wall where he'd heard the noise come from and saw that he was in the movie auditorium. His eyes narrowed as he saw a cloaked figure fire what looked like green goop at Sandra and Dash. Dash carried Sandra as he dodged and leap away from every hit.

Danny quickly fired a ghost blast at the cloaked figure and sent it flying front first into the nearest wall. He quickly flew over towards his friends and finally saw that part of Sandra's legs and her right arm were covered in a hardened form of the green goop.

"Sandra," Dash said, shaking the girl gently. "Come on, Sandra, wake up."

He shook the girl gently, but it was to no avail and Sandra remained unconscious in his arms. Dash held the girl closer to him and closed his eyes in sadness. Danny stared at the scene in shock, feeling anger and despair rise up in him. He did his best to place a comforting hand on Dash's shoulder. The blond looked at the hand and then at Danny. Before either one could say anything, the sound of crumbling caught their attention.

Danny turned around to see chips of the wall's plaster fall to the ground as the cloaked figure pushed itself away from the wall. It growled angrily as it turned around to face them. It raised its hands in the air, the cloak's sleeves slide down to reveal human hands. After a moment a red light crackled and the cloaked figure fired a red stream of energy at them. Danny quickly gathered energy in his own hands and fired a green ghost blast back.

Dash stared in awe at the clash of energy in front of him. At first the two ghosts were evenly matched before it became clear that the cloaked figure was stronger. The red light kept pushing forward slowly until it came dangerously close to Danny. He grunted with the effort and tried to maintain the red blast away from him.

"Dash, get out of here, now!"

Dash snapped out of his stupor and quickly carried Sandra away. He kicked the exit door open and ran out down the hallway. He headed for the familiar door to his friend's office and pushed it open with his shoulder. The sound of the swinging door echoed loudly in the telescope room and woke up Wally. He nearly fell out of his chair as he saw his friend holding the unconscious form of Sandra.

"Dash, what happened?" Wally asked. The older boy stood up in surprise.

Dash walked toward his Wally and hurriedly said, "No time to explain. Just get her out of here."

He carefully handed Sandra's petite form to Wally, who had some difficulty holding her. Wally stared in shock at Sandra's prone form and looked back at his friend to see Dash was already towards the door.

"Wait Dash, where are you going?" Wally asked loudly.

The blond ignored him as he quickly pushed through the double doors and ran out of the room. Wally tried to calm down as he readjusted his hold on Sandra and made his way out the other set of double doors that led to the east exit. As he carried the unconscious girl, he took a moment to look at the green plaster like substance covering her body. '_It looks like a cast, but it feels slimy.'_

Wally quickly made his way out of the observatory main building and carefully laid Sandra down on a grassy knoll near the back side entrance. He looked back at the observatory and pulled out his cell phone to call 9-1-1. Unbeknownst to Wally, Sandra briefly opened her eyes to reveal a glowing green and as she slowly closed them shut, the hardened goop turned into dust.

_lllll_

Dash quickly made his way into the movie auditorium in time to see the cloaked figure standing in the center and holding an unconscious Danny Phantom by the scruff of his neck. Dash's eyes narrowed in determination and he was glad of his paranoia as he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and produced the small cylindrical tube. He quickly ran forward and when he was close enough, pointed the tube at the cloaked figure. '_This better work.'_

He pressed the green button and the tube whirred to life and fired the Jack-A-Nine-Tails at the cloaked figure. The arms quickly wrapped around the cloaked figure and forced it to drop Danny Phantom on the floor. The cloaked figure growled in pain as it was zapped by the arms around it. It fell to the floor and twitched for a moment before becoming covered in gas. Dash cautiously made his way toward the fallen superhero and saw the cloaked figure suddenly disappear and the mechanical arms fall to the ground.

Dash bent down before Danny Phantom and hesitantly touched the ghost boy's shoulder. He nudged him repeatedly, but it didn't seem to wake the other boy up. He grew worried and placed two fingers on the side of the other boy's neck. The skin felt surprisingly warm and as Dash pressed his fingers harder on the juncture; he felt the faint pulse of a heartbeat. He took that much as a good sign and sighed in relief.

"Ok, so he's breathing, now what do I do?" Dash asked aloud.

As if in answer to his question, Dash heard Danny Phantom groan slightly. The blond looked down to see Danny Phantom open his green eyes slowly. Dash felt odd being so close to the ghost boy and tried not to stare at the other's strange appearance.

Danny Phantom slowly tried to stand up, but stumbled a bit. Dash quickly caught the other boy before he fell and as Danny Phantom looked up at him, he tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

Dash carefully asked him, "Are you going to be ok?"

"I don't know," admitted Danny.

When Danny was set right again he took a step back and looked at the mess around him. The Jack-A-Nine-Tails caught his eye and he frowned slightly. Dash followed his line of vision and sheepishly went to retrieve the fallen gadget. He pressed another button on the side and the machine arms retreated back into the cylindrical tube.

"Where did you get that?"

Dash looked at him as he said, "I found it one day while walking home. My friend's parents make this sort of stuff so I know what it's for."

"Yeah, but why do you carry it around?"

Dash didn't like the question and let it show as he answered, "Ghost attacks are normal in Amity Park and it's not like you're always going to be able to catch all the ghosts. At least this way I always have some sort of protection with me." _'Why am I telling him all of this?'_

Danny Phantom looked down for a moment and Dash felt a bit of regret as he wondered if his words had somehow gotten to Danny Phantom. He didn't think he'd said anything particularly harsh, but the expression on Danny Phantom's face said otherwise.

"You're right," said Danny, "I can't be everywhere at once. I'm sorry for not getting here sooner."

Dash fought back the flush he felt on his face as he saw the honest green eyes stare up at him. _'Damn it, why with him?'_ he thought angrily. Dash looked away and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"You don't have to apologize. I'm just saying that you don't have to worry about me as much as everyone else even though technically I'm always the guy getting attacked." Dash mentally smacked himself at how fumbled his words sounded.

A sudden thought struck Dash and he felt his earlier worry return. He side stepped around the ghost boy and ran up the steps that led out of the auditorium. Danny watched him in surprise and then realized where the blond was headed. Danny gathered as much of his strength as he had left and quickly flew toward Dash and grabbed the other boy. He phased them through several walls of the observatory until they made it outside. Danny flew to his left and eventually they came upon the sight of a young man bent down over Sandra's prone form.

Danny released Dash and the blond ran as soon as his feet hit the ground. He quickly made his way over to Sandra and fell to his knees in front of her. His eyes looked at her legs and he smiled as he saw that the hardened goop was now gone. Sandra stirred to life and opened her eyes in time to see Dash. She tried to sit up, but Dash's hand stopped her and he told her to not get up yet. Dash looked back at Danny Phantom to see the other boy about to take off.

"Thank you, _Danny!_"

Danny turned around in surprise and saw Dash smirking.

"Yeah, Paulina told me your name's not David…it's _Danny_, Danny Phantom."

Danny sighed in relief and quickly nodded in return. He'd nearly had a heart attack at hearing Dash call him by his real name. He slowly took off into the sky and headed for home, finally feeling the exhaustion of the day. He chanced a glance at Dash and Sandra and felt frustrated as he looked at them. _'If it wasn't Griffith who interfered with them, then who was that?'_

End of Chapter 19

Author's End Notes: I guess the only pertinent thing I need to say is that I have finals coming up and thus won't be able to post anymore this month and so the next update will be up in late May. (It's the reason why I made this slightly longer than usual.) I'm not sure how you guys took this, but for the most part I hope you guys liked it well enough. As always please review!

Big spoiler summary for next chapter: As Danny sees Dash find an odd happiness with Sandra, he wonders about his own. Tucker and Sam continue their silence towards each other, but are forced to stop when Danny Phantom's new enemy targets them. Jazz sees how much her little brother has grown up and gets more than she bargained for. Now unable to further ignore Griffith's orders, Flora struggles with her emotions as she uses her powers on Dash and Sandra.

_Spidey's Shout Outs:_

_(because e-mails don't have audio components yet)_

**KimuraSato**: Hey girl! Thanks so much for the constructive criticism in your reviews; I always miss grammar mistakes no matter how many times I read over something. So I know you were waiting for a Dash/Danny moment, but I had to give a Dash/Danny Phantom moment instead. I don't think most people will see the sense in that, but I hope you like it anyway. How is your story going by the way? Any new fresh story angles being developed in it?

**Reptilian Goddess**: Hey there! Hmm, Dash and Danny hugging…ya know that could work for the next part I'm writing. Thanks for the idea and the review! (By the way, I hope you weren't too disappointed that the Tuck/Sam moments weren't as violent as might have been insinuated.)

**Kayu Silver**: Hey! Lol, I love when people dance in their reviews…or in real life. Yes, the number of dances in the world is a list that's longer than even I imagined, but there are only so many I can use. Your words were very kind and honest. It's very cool to know, that even though this is such a slow story, some people will continue to read it. Thank you for your dancing review!

**Broodrooster**: Awesome a new reviewer! Lol, I think guy or girl, sometimes just hearing someone tell you that you're cute is a little surprising. However I agree with your sentiments. Thank you for the review!

**i like traffic lights**: Horay! Another new reviewer! Lol, if it was like an actual episode there'd be a lot more puns I think. I'm glad that you like my OC's because I'm always wondering how they're perceived by my readers (especially the ones who hate Mary-Sues). I looked up most of the dance names online and if the style and meaning somehow fits what the chapter is going to be about then it becomes the dance for that chapter. I'm not running low yet, but let's just say that I'm glad this fic is 2/3 of the way done. I hope you like the Dash/Danny although it's not exactly Dash/Danny Fenton as was implied. +smiles nervously+ Thanks so much for the awesomely long review!

**MorganEddasil**: Hello again! Hmm, a Jack/Danny…that would be possible, but I think for now you'll have to settle for the Jack/Danny/Dash moments in the future. Lol, high-fives back, yes the day I'm not some sort of paranormal fiend is truly a boring day. Thanks so much for your cool review!

**hittocerebattosai**: Yes ma'am! Hurah, you found it cute…coincidently when Danny discovers that to Jack he's cute. Lol, thanks so much for the lovable review!

**Akiko**: Hello again! Lol, yeah most people seem to feel sorry for the guy and I wonder how they'll see him in the chapters to come. I hope you liked this chapter and thanks so much for your review!

**authoraisarete**: Hello! #1, Daijoubu! You don't need to feel bad for such things, I'm just happy when people like you have the time to do so. #2, lol, I'm happy that you like this fic so much, but hope the gift didn't perturb you too much (perhaps I made it unclear). Yes, I liked writing the Flora scene as well because I think that there's something oddly intriguing about a girl who can't express her emotions because of who she works for. #3, lol, yes I know what you're talking about and I wanted to thank you for pointing that out to me. I didn't mean to make Danny uber uke, lol, but now that I've reread it I can see what you meant. I'll need to work on that for the future chapters. Thanks so much for your nice review!

**Kate**: Hey again! I actually am working on two other ones at the moment. I mostly write those when I have writer's block on this one. Yes, I noticed that too and have been asking certain DP slash writers to update soon, but I guess with the show nearly ending soon, people are falling out of it? I don't know. Huh, an Easter fic, that's a good idea actually. I'm not sure what you mean by anime media links, but for updates on what anime has been subbed, I like going to or At any rate I wanted to thank you for the e-mailed review!


	20. The Ragged Reggae

Disclaimer: If I owned Danny Phantom, the Dash/Danny pairing would reign supreme! Alas it is but a mere fanfictional slash possibility so no, no it's proof that I don't own it and probably never will. T.T P.S. Chip Skylark also belongs to Butch Hartman.

Author's Notes: Please enjoy!

Chapter 20: The Ragged Reggae

Dash and Sandra walked down the hallway in a bashful silence. Dash tried to act cool, but felt nervous as he walked with the brunette. Their arms occasionally brushed against each other, but neither one moved away. A few students looked at them curiously, some whispering to each other as the pair passed them.

Sandra fidgeted slightly with the notebook in her hands as she asked, "So…how was football practice yesterday?" _'Geez Sandra, can you get any lamer?'_

Dash nodded, "Good, really good, although Coach says that we might have some trouble playing against the Oak Creek Woodpeckers next week. Our new formations in offense are still in need of some work, but I think our defense is strong enough to at least do some damage." _'What am I doing? I'm probably boring her to death.'_

Sandra gave him a sincere smile as she said, "Oh, well I hope you guys win next Friday."

"Yeah, me too," said Dash casually. "_So_ um how's your arm and legs?"

Sandra bent her elbow as she said, "Better, they're not so sore anymore. My dad still made me go to the hospital the next day though, just to make sure everything was really alright."

Dash raised an eyebrow as he said, "Wow, your dad's really overprotective towards you."

'_He's just afraid for me,' _thought Sandra.

Her face became one of exasperation as she said, "Yeah, it's a bit unreasonable on his part since we did come to this town because the military base needed help dealing with the paranormal phenomena around Amity Park."

Dash couldn't help but chuckle at the frustrated expression on Sandra's face. Soon enough she joined in his laughter and the tense air between the two lifted somewhat. Sandra saw Dash fidget with his jacket and smiled at recognizing the blond's nervous habit.

Sandra giggled slightly as she thought, _'Paulina's right, if I wait for him then we'll never get anywhere.'_

She gathered her courage and asked, "Hey Dash, did you know Chip Skylark's new album came out?"

"No, I didn't."

"Yeah, yesterday a girl in my class let me listen to it and I thought it was pretty cool. I'm going to the mall this Friday to pick up a copy…do you want to come with me?" she asked, a hopeful look on her face.

Dash raised an eyebrow at the other girl's words before a small blush slowly appeared on his face.

Sandra coughed slightly and quickly added, "I-I mean if you don't already have plans. I just figured that because you don't have a game this Friday it'd be cool for the two of us to-"

"Are you…asking me out on a date?" Dash asked slowly.

Sandra stopped walking and looked up at Dash nervously, "Yes…no….maybe." The more she looked at Dash the more she lost her nerve.

"Forget it, just forget I said that."

"No wait, yes!" Dash said suddenly.

Sandra looked at him in confusion as she asked, "What?"

"My answer is yes," he said anxiously.

Sandra frowned slightly as she said, "Look Dash if you're just saying yes out of pity or something-"

"I'm not," the blond said firmly. "I was just…surprised because I've never had a girl ask me out before."

The two slowly smiled at each other, but their reverie was broken when they heard the sound of someone chuckling.

Dash looked behind him and glared as he caught sight of Griffith and Flora leaning against some lockers. Griffith uncrossed his arms and walked slowly towards them. He smirked in amusement as he saw Dash place himself in front of Sandra. The two boys stared face to face and Sandra saw Flora sigh.

Although the rest of Flora's face remained impassive, her green eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke, "Griffith."

Dash and Sandra were startled at hearing the girl's voice and looked at Flora in surprise. They both had her for Geometry and not once did the girl speak up in class. Even on the threat of detention, the girl remained silent and ignored any attempts on Mr. Barton's part to get her to speak. Eventually Mr. Barton left well enough alone when he saw how well Flora scored on his exams.

Griffith turned his head to look at Flora and smiled as he said, "Must you always ruin my fun, Flora."

He turned back to look at Dash and grinned at him. Dash opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he had a flash of Danny's face. He shook his head to clear away the image and looked back at Griffith. Dash frowned as he saw the Goth's face and glared at the other's features. He really hated the fact that the two boys looked so similar.

"Hey meathead, if you don't mind, we need to talk to Sandra before school starts."

Sandra stepped around Dash and gave Griffith a curious look as she asked, "About what?"

"Just some dance committee business," Griffith said while smiling politely. "It's actually about the rather _pressing matter_ concerning my band."

Sandra's eyes widened in understanding as she said, "Oh right, I remember now."

She gave Dash an apologetic smile and began to walk with Griffith. At the last moment she turned back to Dash and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek. Griffith frowned as he saw the two, but inside he was furious at seeing the dangerous action. _'I must remedy this immediately before things escalate out my control.'_

Dash blushed profusely as he looked down at the brunette and placed a hand where she'd kissed him.

Sandra blushed at her own audacity and smiled up at him, "I'll see you at lunch and we can talk then."

Griffith cleared his throat exaggeratingly and Sandra gave him a sheepish look before walking with the two Goths. Dash stood there dumbfounded as he watched them leave.

Danny and Tucker held surprised expressions on their faces after having seen the entire incident. They'd been too far to hear the interaction between the others, but had seen the kiss between Dash and Sandra.

"Dude, did you see that? She kissed him!" Tucker said excitedly. "Granted it was on the cheek, but still, it's only a matter of time before she kisses him on the lips. Anybody can see that they really like each other and all you have to do now is… "

Tucker stopped when he saw the astonished expression on Danny's face.

"Danny is something wrong?" he asked with concern.

Danny snapped out of his earlier stupor and half-smiled as he looked at Tucker.

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just surprised, that's all."

His best friend smiled at him and Danny turned his head to watch Dash's retreating form. Although he felt relief at seeing that Sandra clearly liked Dash, at the same time he wondered why he wasn't as happy as he thought he'd be.

"Anyway Danny, I wanted to tell you that Sam and I are still working on the research you asked us to do about Griffith's band. Yesterday I found a lead with Carmen."

Danny smirked slightly as he said, "Carmen, that girl that you're-"

"Yeah, her," Tucker said quickly. He looked away slightly to hide his embarrassment.

"Out of curiosity Tucker, how are things going with her?"

Tucker smiled as he said, "I'm not sure and I don't think I'm ready to face Sam yet."

Danny gave his best friend an encouraging smile and placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"Just be honest Tuck, I'm sure she'll understand," Danny said earnestly. "Anyway, what'd you find out?"

Tucker's face become serious as he said, "She's part of the dance committee, specifically the part that was picking the music. She told me that aside from having a DJ, they decided to have a live band. They held auditions a few weeks ago and picked Griffith's band, who called themselves 'The Grims'."

"How original," said Danny sarcastically.

Tucker nodded, but he frowned slightly as he said, "Here's the weird part though. When I asked her about what they sounded like, she admitted that she couldn't remember the names of the songs, what they were about. She couldn't even hum them a little, yet she says that she really liked their playing."

"Well maybe she just forgot," Danny said with a shrug.

Tucker gave Danny a look as he said, "Carmen's been a music prodigy since she was 4 years old and she has a photographic memory."

"That is weird," Danny said in surprise, "and how is that possible?"

_lllll_

Jack twirled his pencil in between his fingers as he looked at the Calculus problem in front of him. He knew he'd done the steps correctly, but when he'd looked in the back of the book, his answer didn't match with the one there. He stopped his movements after a moment and smiled as he saw where he'd made his error. As he erased a section of his work he felt more than heard someone walking behind him. He quickly turned around and sighed with relief when he saw it was only Danny.

The brunet looked nervous as he shuffled closer and Jack masked his unease. He gave Danny a small smile and looked at him expectantly. Only when the two finally stood face to face, was Jack able to notice the small flush across Danny's cheeks.

"Can I sit here?" Danny asked nervously. "Everywhere else is taken."

Jack looked at the library tables near them and saw that indeed all of them were occupied by other students who were studying or talking in hushed voices. Although rather small, he liked the table he sat at because it was far in the back and a little secluded. He looked back at Danny and nodded encouragingly.

Danny smiled as he took a seat across from Jack. The auburn haired boy watched as Danny took out his notebook and what looked suspiciously like the geometry textbook. He said nothing however, and returned to working on his own homework. Half an hour passed in silence between them and Jack was now coming closer to finishing his Calculus homework. As he solved another problem he looked in the back of the book to make sure his answer was correct. He smiled to himself as he saw that he was right and was finally getting better at these types of problems.

As he set the pages down he noticed Danny's hand was no longer moving. Jack looked up in time to see Danny staring at him. The brunette blushed at having been caught and quickly looked down at his homework again. Jack felt his heart beat quicken at the realization that Danny had been looking at him.

He gulped nervously and tried to look back at his homework. He was halfway through solving another problem when again he felt like he was being stared at. He did his best to ignore the stare and instead tried to solve the problem in front of him. It would have been easier if he could concentrate, but the boy's incessant gaze was making him nervous.

Eventually he gave up all together and looked up at Danny expectantly. He held the other boy's stare with his own and leaned closer to whisper, "Is something wrong?"

Danny mentally punched himself for his stupidity. He didn't know what in the world had possessed him to look at Jack so much and as he looked back at the caring gaze in front of him, he scrambled to find an excuse.

He gave Jack an embarrassed smile as he whispered, "Yeah, can you please help me with my homework?"

Jack tried not to let his disappointment show as he said, "Yeah, sure. Where are you having problems?"

'_Every time I'm near you,' _Danny thought in grim amusement.

"Um, I can't figure out the area of this shape inside the circle."

Jack nodded and smiled as he said, "I used to have problems with the areas of inscribed shapes too."

He scooted his chair closer to Danny's side of the table until they were side by side. He looked at the problem written in Danny's notebook and after a moment nodded as he remembered how to solve this type of problem. He looked back at Danny and thought the other boy looked tense.

In a calm tone he said, "Ok so the first thing you should do is write down the givens."

Danny nodded as he wrote several variables and equations on his paper. After a moment he looked back up at Jack expectantly. Jack shifted to point to something on Danny's paper and inadvertently brushed closer against the other boy. Danny gasped silently and stiffened when he felt their arms brush against each other. He felt nervous being so close to Jack and was now regretting even asking for the other boy's help.

The scent of Jack's cologne caught Danny's nose and as he looked at Jack, he subconsciously started to stare at the other boy's lips. The full lips were nothing like a girl's and completely plain in comparison. It was these same lips however, that had made him feel so strange. Realizing he was staring, he quickly looked away and tried to concentrate on what Jack was saying.

"So do you understand now?" Jack asked hopefully.

Danny glanced back at the problem in front of him and saw that Jack had written down the steps on how to solve the problem without actually solving it. He looked back up at Jack's smiling face and nodded without a word.

Jack sighed as he said, "Good then I'll let you work it out on your own. If you get stuck again just ask me for help."

"This isn't what I'm stuck on."

Danny's eyes widened as he realized he'd voiced his thoughts aloud and he looked up at Jack in embarrassment.

Jack raised an eyebrow at him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as he asked, "Then what are you stuck on?"

Danny quickly shrugged off the hand, but regretted it when he saw the hurt look on Jack's face. The older boy looked away from him and smiled sadly.

"Well that answers that question."

Jack was relieved when he heard the sound of the bell that signaled the end of study period. He quickly stood up and hurriedly began placing his things inside his backpack. Danny followed suit, but stopped when his hand landed on his notebook. He saw the neat scrawling of Jack's writing and felt his earlier guilt return.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Don't apologize," Jack replied coldly.

He stuffed the last of his things inside his backpack and started to walk away, but had his arm grabbed by Danny.

"Jack, wait."

The older boy suppressed the urge angrily yank his arm away and waited to hear what Danny would say.

"I…I'm sorry, I have a lot of things on my mind right now and _this_ is all happening so fast that I just can't help but be…"

Jack slowly turned around to face Danny and said, "Scared?"

"Yeah," Danny said with a feeble shrug.

A small smile came to Jack's face as he said, "I know the feeling."

Jack was glad that they were in a secluded part of the library as he grabbed Danny's hand in his, "Just know that you're not alone and that you have me."

Danny blushed slightly as he looked at their joined hands.

_lllll_

"Can't you just listen to me for once?" Tucker asked in annoyance.

Sam quickly turned around and yelled, "I've been listening to you and so far all I've been hearing is you lying to me!"

Tucker frowned as he yelled back, "I'm not lying to you! She's just a friend who's helping me out!"

"Helping you out? Tell me Tucker, what kind of help involves her hugging you?"

"She wasn't hugging…I mean she was, but it's not what you think," Tucker said in exasperation.

Sam looked at him coldly as she said, "No, I know exactly what to think and right now I'm thinking that I don't want to have anything to do with you!"

Tucker gave her an irritated look as he asked, "Will you stop being angry at me for a second and let me explain?"

"Tucker, there's nothing _to_ explain because we're _not_ even going out anymore. I don't care what you and that girl were doing because there are more important things to worry about, like saving Danny's life."

The Goth girl turned to walk away, but was quickly blocked by Tucker. She was momentarily surprised by the intense gaze in Tucker's eyes before her anger took over and she roughly pushed past him. Tucker grabbed her arm to stop her and was promptly slapped by Sam.

The sound echoed loudly around them in the empty hallway. Sam gasped as she realized what she'd done and saw Tucker hold in his cheek in surprise. He slowly let go of her arm and stared at her, a hurt look on his face. Sam tried to hold on to her earlier anger and schooled her face into a look of indifference.

She squared her shoulders as she firmly said, "We can be friends, but I never want to be with you like that again."

Sam turned around and continued walking away from him, her heart breaking with every step she took away from Tucker. She felt her vision become blurry and tried to blink away the tears forming. In her distraction, she crashed into someone and fell over backwards.

"Sam, look out!" yelled Tucker.

Sam looked up in time to see a cloaked figure float in front of her. A set of emerald green eyes glowed as they looked at her and a deep voice bellowed out, "I can help you with that."

The cloaked figure pointed a hand at Sam and the Goth girl watched as a green goopy substance appeared over it. Tucker literally hauled her up as a slimy ghost blast hit the spot she'd been at. The two teenagers ran down the hallway, the cloaked figure chuckling as it kept a steady pace with them. It fired another ghost blast at Sam, but the Goth girl ducked at the last second and saw the blast hit a few lockers in front of her. The slimy goop trailed down the lockers and unto the floor.

Sam and Tucker both slipped on a stream of the goop and fell to the floor with a hard thud. The cloaked figure gathered a large slimy green energy in his hands before firing the energy beam at Sam. Sam covered her head as she felt the heat of the blast come closer. At the last second she heard an agonized yell and the sound of something hardening.

Sam quickly opened her eyes when she realized nothing happened to her, but gasped in fear as she looked in front of her. She looked up to see Tucker frozen and completely encased in a translucent blob of green plaster.

"Tucker!"

The cloaked figure's chuckling echoed down the empty hallway and it slowly descended closer to Sam. Sam quickly stood up and looked at the figure murderously. The cloaked figure merely chuckled harder, but eventually stopped as it came closer to Sam.

"Stand down," said a voice behind her.

Sam turned her head and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Flora. Sam saw the blonde girl reach into the pocket of her skirt and produce what looked like a big marble.

"Stand down or I'll absorb your energy," Flora said threateningly. "If it was painful to receive it, imagine the pain of losing it."

Sam turned back to the cloaked figure and heard it growl in a low voice.

"Griffith's orders-"

"Are that you work under me or did you forget that?" Flora said, the barest trace of anger appearing on her normally stoic features. "You have no business with them because they are not your mission. Disobey my orders or more importantly, Griffith's orders, again and I will kill you."

The cloaked figure chuckled again as it said, "No you won't."

Flora's eyes a dark green as she yelled, "You test my patience human!"

Sam's eyes widened at hearing Flora's words. _'The cloaked figure that attacked Danny a few days ago is a human?'_

The cloaked figure raised his hands up in a placating gesture as the folds of its cloak expanded and enshrouded it. It formed into a green gassy form before disappearing altogether.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly turned around to look at Tucker. Flora saw the other Goth girl bend down in front of the encased boy. Flora quickly closed her eyes and concentrated on making sure that there was no one around them. Although it was after school, she wanted to make sure she'd be left relatively alone to clean up this mess. Her eyes shot open as she felt Griffith's presence nearing the hallway she was standing in.

Sam looked up at Flora desperately as she asked, "Can you help him?"

Flora turned back to Sam and nodded as she said, "Yes, but please stand back."

Sam looked at the other girl curiously, but refrained from commenting. She quickly got up and moved a few feet away from Tucker. She watched Flora place the marble back into her pocket and place both hands on the rough casing around Tucker. Flora closed her eyes and concentrated. She focused her energy forward to break down the molecules of the hardened slime. After a moment Flora's hands began to dissolve the material around Tucker.

Tucker slumped forward on the ground and landed in a large clump of green dust around him. Flora stepped away from him and Sam quickly moved toward Tucker. As she bent down before him, her earlier tears returned, but this time out of happiness. Sam gently brushed away small flecks of dust from Tucker's face and smiled as she saw the calm rise and fall of his chest.

Sam gave Flora a true smile as she said, "Thank you for helping us."

Flora's eyes glowed a dark green again as she slowly said, "Don't thank me yet."

Sam yelled out as she suddenly felt like thousands of needles were stabbing into her brain. The brunette held her head in pain and struggled to stay conscious. Flora raised her hand and quickly engulfed the two teenagers in a green aura. She quickly levitated them off the ground and concentrated on opening their minds.

As she hung limply in the air, Sam felt her nose start to bleed and her eyes kept trying to close. The last thing she heard before going unconscious was, "For the sake of my brother, I can't have you remembering this."

When she was done, Flora carefully set the two teenagers down side by side. She wasn't surprised to feel Griffith suddenly stand behind her. The grim reaper walked casually toward Sam and Tucker and looked down at them carefully.

Griffith made a clicking sound with his tongue and reached into the back pocket of his pants. He produced a small white handkerchief and bent down before Sam to carefully wipe away any traces of blood on her face. He looked at the red stain in disappointment and stood up to face Flora.

"You're getting sloppy."

Flora stood up straighter as she replied, "Forgive me sir."

Griffith refolded the handkerchief and placed it back in his pocket.

He looked at Flora curiously as he asked, "For the sake of your brother?"

Flora sensed the apprehension behind the question and in a calm voice replied, "After all these years Griffith, you still ask?"

Griffith's smile widened slightly as he said, "I suppose I still find it hard to believe that you would do so much for me even though we're not blood. At any rate, have you finally done what I ordered?"

Flora paused as she looked at her superior and felt how tense the air suddenly became. It seemed that in this one moment Griffith would decide her fate. She had decided her own a long time ago, but knew that irregardless of her wishes, there were just some things that she could not control.

"No sir, I am not yet at maximum capacity. I will visit the Baxter and Perkins residences starting tonight," said Flora.

_lllll_

Derek and Jazz walked towards the library's parking lot in amiable silence. Jazz did her best to stifle a yawn. After a moment Derek followed suit and looked at her in amusement.

"I think you passed it on to me," he said smiling.

"Sorry," Jazz said with a small flush.

Derek gave her an easy going smile as he said, "Thanks again for helping me finish up my English paper."

"It was no problem Derek, I'm always happy to help people," replied Jazz.

Derek huffed slightly as he said, "Calculus problems and calculations I can do, but English papers on Ernest Hemingway are hard."

Jazz giggled slightly at his words and shifted her binder unto her other arm. Derek adjusted the strap to his sports bag and frowned slightly as they neared Jazz's car. The two stopped once they reached it and the girl unlocked her car and placed her things in the backseat.

Derek began to walk backwards as he said, "Well, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Jazz looked at him with concern as she asked, "Wait Derek, where's your car?"

"Oh, I didn't bring it. The transmission's busted and I didn't have enough mon- time, time to take it to the shop today," said Derek nervously.

Jazz's eyes narrowed slightly in realization, but her own smile quickly came to her face as she encouragingly said, "Well it is late Derek, how about I give you a ride?"

Derek felt like protesting, but realized Jazz would probably talk him down. He shifted slightly before slowly walking back towards Jazz. The light from a nearby lamppost illuminated her face brightly and as Derek stared at her, he felt his heartbeat quicken. Realizing he was probably acting like a geek by gawking at her, he quickly moved to the other side of her car.

As the two got in, he gave her a real smile and said, "Thank you."

_lllll_

Jazz tried to distract herself from her earlier nervousness by listening to the radio. As she hummed along to an upbeat song she turned the corner and drove down a long empty street. Her mood began to lift slightly and as she stopped at a red light, she caught sight of two people crossing the street on the other side. It took her a moment to realize who it was and when she did her eyes widened slightly.

Danny and Jack finished crossing the street and Jazz was about to drive near them before she saw Jack suddenly place an arm around her brother. Danny continued walking as if nothing had happened and seemed to be laughing. Quickly gathering her wits about her, Jazz drove on down the block, passing Danny and Jack.

The image resurfaced and as it replayed in her mind, her instincts told her there was something odd about it. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something about their friendly intimacy seemed off. Eventually she scoffed to herself at her ridiculous worry and chided her own behavior; she really should have stopped to give them a ride.

As her home came into view, she drove around the side and turned into the back driveway. She parked her car and turned the engine off before reaching into the backseat and getting her things. A flash of white on the passenger foot space caught her attention and as she grabbed it, a small smile came to her face. She held the white glove in her hand, noting the green and brown stains on it.

'_This must be Derek's,'_ Jazz thought.

She adjusted the glove slightly and saw how it was so much bigger in comparison to her hand. Then again wasn't Derek so much bigger than her? He was certainly taller than her and as an athlete his frame was much wider in comparison to most of the boys at school. However when it came to his personality, she thought he was in a different category altogether. Although he could be somewhat of a smart aleck at times, he was also surprisingly kind to people he considered his friends.

Jazz had been amazed by the range of how people actually perceived him. Some of her friends considered him to be a class clown, while others thought he was a math genius. Still there had been a few girls in her class that had once gossiped about Derek, saying that him being so good looking had made him nothing short of a womanizer.

She later found out that the rumor was false. During one of the times she'd talked with Derek, he'd let slip the fact that he'd never actually had a girlfriend before. At the time it'd been a moment of humor and understanding between the two, but as the days passed it had unconsciously grown into one of relief for her. It was that feeling that was the most disconcerting of all.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard something behind her. She quickly turned her head and saw Danny and Jack walking into the driveway and closer to the back door. At first Jazz was about to step out, thinking about how Jack could give the glove to Derek in the morning, but stopped short when she caught part of their conversation. Jazz quickly ducked down and felt a mixture of guilt and thanks that her window was open.

"Why would you say that?" asked Danny.

Jack paused for a moment as he said, "Well I just didn't think you'd actually agree to let me walk you home, but maybe I should just be happy that you did."

Danny said nothing for a moment and Jazz thought she heard the sound of shuffling. She very carefully sat halfway up and looked into the side mirror to see what was going on behind her. Her mouth hung open in surprise as she saw Jack hugging her brother again. Danny stayed stiff as a board before slowly disentangling himself from the embrace.

Jack let go of Danny and smiled at him. He ruffled the top of Danny's hair before taking a step back.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school, Danny-kun."

"Y-yeah, see you tomorrow," stuttered out Danny.

Jack waved a small goodbye before walking away from Danny altogether. Jazz watched her brother in surprise as Danny waved and watched Jack leave. Jazz's mind was working a mile a minute as she tried to think about what to do. She peered over the edge of her car door and looked at Danny directly.

When he turned around, she quickly moved to duck down again, but accidentally crashed her elbow into the horn of her car. The short beep echoed loudly in the driveway and Jazz placed both hands on her mouth in surprise. She heard Danny come closer and eventually saw him peer down to look at her in surprise. The two siblings stared at each other in a stunned silence, but Jazz quickly recovered with a nervous smile.

"Um hi Danny, how was school today?"

_lllll_

Flora felt slightly weary after her encounter with Sandra's dreams. It had taken a lot of energy to change the girl's dream into a nightmare. She hoped that whatever Dash was dreaming about, it would be much easier to manipulate.

She carefully placed the tips of her fingers on top of his forehead and was surprised by how quickly she was able to connect their minds. She felt herself being pulled into his dream and within seconds she opened her eyes to reveal the fact that she was floating. She looked down to see she was high above downtown Amity Park.

A sudden roar caught her attention and Flora looked to her left to see a red and brown ghost dragon terrorizing several people as it crashed into buildings and smashed cars. The dragon roared again and blew a stream of green fire into the air. Two figures floated up in front of the dragon and it growled as it saw them.

Flora's eyes widened slightly and if she was a more expressive girl she would have laughed at what she saw. Dash wore a blue colored eye mask and was dressed in a blue and white spandex suit similar to Danny Phantom's. The blond grinned brightly as he floated next to Danny Phantom. The two smirked at each other before charging forward to attack.

Danny Phantom yelled as he let loose a ghost blast at the dragon. The ghost dragon roared in pain at the hit and began to fall down towards the townspeople. Dash quickly swooped in and punched the dragon's abdomen, sending it several yards away from anyone. Flora floated closer and stood on a building rooftop as she watched the fight in mild amusement.

Her interest peaked however when she saw the dragon crash against a nearby building and cause parts of stone to fall down to the ground. Flora's eyes narrowed as she saw that it was about to fall on an unsuspecting Danny Fenton. Dash saw this as well and quickly swooped in to save the boy.

Danny Fenton yelped in surprise and looked down to see he was floating above the town. The brunet turned back to Dash and smiled at him. Dash grinned back as he started to descend towards the ground to let go of Danny. Flora quickly flew down to street level and hid behind another building to watch them.

"Wow, you saved my life Eidolon!" said Danny in awe. "How can I ever thank you?"

Dash ruffled the top of Danny's head before strongly saying, "No thanks necessary Danny. It's what we superheroes do, now if you'll excuse me."

Dash smiled as he took off into the air again and flew back to help Danny Phantom fight the dragon. Flora watched him fly off and saw Danny stare after him in appreciation. She almost smirked at the ridiculous cliché of a dream the blond was having, but stopped when she realized she had to ruin it into a nightmare.

As she watched Dash and Danny finish off the ghost dragon, she felt her earlier resolve melt slightly. She watched in fascination as Dash played the part of superhero and saw the happiness on his face as he and Danny Phantom captured the ghost dragon into the Fenton Thermos.

Flora sighed as she remembered Griffith's orders and floated upwards. She stood on the ledge of a large building, her eyes glowing dark green as she raised a hand up toward the sky. The sudden laughter of Dash and Danny Phantom caught her attention and she looked back to see the two superheroes high-fiving each other.

Dash and Danny Phantom smiled victoriously as they flew over the town and waved back at the cheering townspeople. Dash looped up and around as he flew away, Danny Phantom smiling in amusement. The more she watched their happy expressions, the more she felt her resolve break.

'_This human, who doesn't know anything about the halfa and yet claims to be his friend, lives his life so carefree and unaware of the struggle the halfa is going through to save him. There are so many people close to the halfa, why would Griffith choose him?'_

Eventually she lowered her arm and slowly her eyes returned back to their normal green hue. Her face remained emotionless even as she felt a mixture of fear and rebellion rise up in her.

'_What is wrong with me? Why am I hesitating?'_ she thought. _'He is the target and my mission. I have tortured and killed many in the past so why do I suddenly feel so guilty doing this?'_

End of Chapter 20

Author's Notes: Sorry if it's a double cliffhanger, but at least this chapter is making it more obvious about who the enemy is and who's becoming a friend. I think after this chapter the possibilities of who the cloaked figure have been significantly eliminated.

I also wanted to apologize for not saying this sooner, but I'm going to be going to another country for about 2 weeks so the next chapter won't be posted until after that. Farewell to you all, have a great summer vacation and I'll see you all soon with the next chapter as a souvenir.

_Spidey's Shout Outs:_

_(because quiet spiders get stepped on)_

**KimuraSato**: Hey girl! As always thanks so much for the constructive criticism in the review and the general merriment:) The reason why Sandra's eyes glowed green will be revealed soon enough. As far as the cloaked figure goes, although there was a big hint in this chapter, I wonder if people will overlook it. .;; The whole issue of being gay is going to come out more in the next chapter. At any rate, hope your own story is going good for you. "Time Tampering" is lovely, keep it up woman! Thanks again for the review!

**Reptilian Goddess**: Hey! All I can say on the matter of Danny's secrets is simply that Dash will discover them all in due time. The evil guy, yeah, that's a good name for him, better than the cloaked figure. :) Lol, this chapter gave a big hint as to who it is. Thank you very much for the nice review!

**hittocerebattosai**: Hola! Nope it's definitely a new ghost and this chapter gave some major spoilers as to who it could be. :) :hugs back: Thanks for the nice review and hug! (In these times, I think any author needs both. .

**Akiko**: Hello again! I wonder if you liked Danny Fenton getting saved by Dash in this chapter. Dash's dreams contrast so much with reality, lol. Still Dash is going to be saving Danny F. in a different way in the chapters to come. :wink:wink: Thanks so much for the review!

**YaoiFan26**: Awesome a new reviewer! Hello there! Tada, I updated! Hope you liked the mild Dash/Danny at the end. I promise that I will more in the coming chapters and make it more obvious since this fic is going to be winding down. :) At any rate thanks so much for the cool review!

**Sora Kohaku**: Hey there! You needed more and you get more. :) What Dash did and _didn't see_ will be revealed in the next chapter. Yeah, a lot of people like Jack and feel bad at the fact that he's not going to be with Danny, but his relationship with Danny will not be in vain. I can't answer directly who's messing with Dash and Sandra, but I think it's obvious who it's not. No, Sandra's mother didn't give her life-force, but the possibility of dying is still a problem for her and one she won't face alone.


	21. The Juvenile Jitterbug

Disclaimer: Nope don't own Danny Phantom…yet. Muahahahahahaha. phone rings, it is reality Damn it, Butch Hartman still won't let me own it.

Author's Notes: I'm making things noticeably forward. I hope you all like this chapter. Please sit back and enjoy, but don't forget to review:)

_lllll_ blah _lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah _llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 21: The Juvenile Jitterbug

Jazz took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She had to be calm, sensible and logical about this. She was Danny's older sister, she could do this. She gathered her courage and looked back at the innocent blue eyes staring back at her. As she looked at her brother, the urge to scream returned.

"Jazz, you have to understand that when he kissed me it felt really weird and different."

"Other than the fact that he's a guy," said Jazz carefully.

Danny nodded and thought a moment before explaining, "There was this one time when Paulina kissed me. I felt so nervous. My heart beat faster and I felt butterflies in my stomach, you know, the normal signs you have a crush on someone. When Jack kissed me, it just felt like hands."

Jazz raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Hands?"

Danny blushed as he recalled the sensation and muttered out, "Like warm hands were touching me."

Jazz frowned as she strained her ear to hear him and finally sighed, "What?"

Danny gave her a look of frustration that made Jazz frown even more.

"Look Danny, I know this is hard to say out loud, but you know you can trust me with anything. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Danny held his head in his hands, but in a clearer voice said, "Like warm hands were touching me."

Jazz blushed in spite of herself and coughed slightly in surprise. She quickly composed herself when Danny looked back at her. She gave him an understanding smile and thought for a moment about her brother's feelings.

"That is a bit weird," said Jazz, "but it sounds a lot more like you felt lust or something."

"Lust?" Danny said, blushing slightly.

"Well from everything you've told me so far, it seems that you normally just see Jack as a friend, but when he kissed you, you felt a physical attraction towards him."

"Attraction?" yelled Danny in surprise.

Jazz gave him a chiding look as she said, "Danny, keep your voice down."

Danny sighed and fell backwards on his bed. His head rested on his pillow and he placed an arm over his eyes.

Jazz looked at her brother with worry and felt helpless as to how to make Danny understand. In her opinion, it was normal if a teenager went through a phase where they felt a physical attraction to someone of the same gender. She believed that when it was no longer a phase and instead a pattern, then it was the sign of a clear distinction in sexual preference.

She believed her brother was now in that phase, but for the life of her she didn't know how he would come out of it. She'd seen her brother's awkwardness with girls before and had always assumed that he liked girls only. This incident with Jack however had clearly thrown her brother for a loop and she wondered if it was only because he was being presented with a different choice.

"How come you're being…so calm about all this?" asked Danny in earnest.

Jazz was startled by the question and as she looked at him, she wondered the very same thing. She could have given in to her earlier temptation to scream at Danny, but it really wouldn't have solved anything. Either out of desperation for a willing ear or from simple sibling trust, Danny had chosen her to confess his secret to. He trusted her with something so fragile and confusing that she hadn't even realized she'd gotten into older sister mode. For better or for worse, Danny was always going to be her brother and she didn't want bad feelings between them over something like this.

Jazz smiled and teasingly replied, "Because you're my baby brother and if I start freaking out now then we'll never figure this out."

Danny lifted the arm that was on his face and raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. Jazz smiled wider at him and soon enough a small smile appeared on Danny's face. She too started to feel slightly tired and decided to lie down next to her brother. The two siblings stared up at the ceiling in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts.

Eventually Jazz broke the silence by tentatively saying, "Danny, I think you should realize something."

Danny turned his head slightly to look at her and asked, "What?"

Jazz sighed and calmly said, "If you liked the kiss then that can be partially explained by your hormones, but if you liked that _Jack_ kissed you…well then it might mean that you feel something for him."

Danny quickly sat up, Jazz following suit. He looked at her with a mixture of irritation and confusion before he got up off his bed.

He frowned in anger as he said, "Jazz, what are you saying? You know that I've liked girls my whole life and one kiss from Jack isn't going to magically make me gay!"

"Danny, I know that and I'm not saying you are, but the fact of the matter is that you _physically_ liked it when he kissed you," said Jazz. "Danny, it doesn't mean that you're gay, lots of tee-"

"Teenagers go through this sort of phase," Danny said sarcastically. "I know, you already said that."

"And now I'm telling you that you don't need to be so defensive just because you're in this phase," said Jazz sternly.

Danny turned his back on Jazz and crossed his arms. Jazz rolled her eyes at his childish behavior but continued speaking, "I know it's scary and confusing, but you're not alone in this anymore, you have me to talk to."

Jazz got off Danny's bed and stood in front of her brother. Danny avoided looking at her and glared at the ground. Jazz acted on her impulse to hug her brother, who yelped in surprise at the gesture. The two stood like that for several moments until Jazz felt Danny slowly return her embrace. A muffled "I don't know what to do" reached her ears and Jazz sighed as she let go of her brother slightly.

"There's no set thing you can do Danny, but if you're uncomfortable with all this, maybe you should start by telling Jack. He said he wanted you to tell him how you felt in return, but if he doesn't give you some space to think, you'll never be able to figure it out."

Danny looked at the ground as he mulled over her words.

"Hey Danny," Jazz said, trying to get this attention. When Danny looked up at her, Jazz smiled encouragingly at him as she asked, "Is Jack the only boy you've ever had these types of feelings for? Was there another boy you felt a physical attraction towards?"

Danny glared at Jazz and was about to yell at her before he abruptly stopped. His mind brought up the memory of Dash's smiling face as the blond peacefully looked at falling leaves. Danny felt his face heat up slightly and he quickly shook his head to clear the memory. _'Why am I remembering that? Dash is just my friend.'_

"Yeah, he's the only one," replied Danny.

Jazz's eyes narrowed slightly as she saw her brother advert his eyes from hers. _'Why is he lying?'_

_lllll_

Danny raised an eyebrow as he saw his two best friends the next morning walking in a daze. He closed his locker shut and walked over to the odd pair.

"What's with you two?"

"I feel really sore," said Tucker as he rubbed at his arms.

Sam held her head as she said, "And I have a huge headache this morning."

Normally Danny would have made a joke if his friends hadn't looked so bad. As he walked with them he asked, "What were guys doing yesterday?"

"Nothing much really, Sam met up with me to walk home together and that was it," said Tucker with a shrug that he wished he hadn't done. "The only weird thing is that as soon as I got home, I knocked out. My parents were worried because I didn't even wake up when they waved a chicken casserole under my nose."

Sam frowned slightly as she said, "That's weird because I also-"

"Yo Fentonmeister!"

All three turned around to see Kwan and Dash walking toward them. Kwan waved enthusiastically as he walked and gave them a wide smile. Dash saw his friend's action and rolled his eyes slightly. The trio half-smiled at Kwan in surprise.

"Hey Kwan," greeted Danny with a chuckle.

"Man you guys, I feel so much better today," said Kwan cheerfully.

"At least somebody does," muttered Sam.

"Hey Kwan!"

Kwan turned around and saw Sandra wave at him from down the hallway. He saw Paulina's surprised expression and saw her smile at him in greeting. He felt slightly giddy as he saw the Hispanic girl, but only smiled in returned.

"I see you're feeling better," said Sandra politely.

They saw Mr. Lancer appear and walk towards them. Some of them cringed as they saw the vice principal, thinking they were going to get scolded for something.

"Ms. Perkins, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Baxter and Mr. Minamoto, I need to see you in my office. Wait a minute where's Mr. Minamoto?"

"Um, he's sick today sir," said Derek as he walked toward them. He briefly waved at his friends and turned back to the vice principal as he answered, "He said he's sick so he isn't coming to school today."

"Well tell him that as soon as he returns to school, to come into my office and speak to me."

"Are we in trouble for something?" asked Dash.

Mr. Lancer raised an eyebrow suspiciously as he said, "_Should_ you be in trouble for something, Mr. Baxter?"

Dash opened his mouth before quickly snapping it shut and smiling innocently as he shook his head.

"Hmm, I see," said Mr. Lancer, clearly unconvinced. "Either way, can you three please come with me? You are not in 'trouble', I merely wish to discuss some details of the upcoming dance and dance auction with you three."

"Oh," Paulina said, in understanding.

All three teenagers looked back at their friends and waved them goodbye as they walked with the older man down the hallway. Danny frowned slightly as he watched them go. _'Why did he need to talk to Jack too?'_

_lllll_

Dash and Danny sat side by side as they read their books in silence. After careful prodding and begging on the part of their classmates, Ms. Johnson agreed to let the period be spent in the library doing research for their next paper. Although the topic involved her students writing about a historical figure they admired and what they contributed to their time period, it was worth one third of their final grade. Thus the history teacher had not been too surprised to see her students so apprehensive.

As Dash reached over to turn the page, his elbow accidentally crashed against Danny's. The brunet looked up at him and Dash quickly apologized. Danny nodded and continued reading his book, occasionally writing something down on his notebook. Dash stopped reading and stared at the other boy from the corner of his eye.

He let a small smile come to his face as he admired how diligently Danny was working on his homework. The brunet twirled a pen in his hands as he read a large book about astronauts. Danny wrote a small sentence on his notebook and finally noticed Dash looking at him. The blond shifted in embarrassment at being caught staring and looked away.

Danny raised an eyebrow and leaned in close to whisper, "Something wrong?"

Dash hid his uneasiness with a smirk as he said, "I'm bored."

"Okay," drawled out Danny. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Dash's smirk grew and he looked at his book in amusement before looking back at Danny and saying, "Let's play tic tac toe."

"What?" Danny said in a confused whisper.

Dash smiled encouragingly as he said, "Oh come on Fenton, there's like 5 minutes left in class anyway."

"What are you a little kid?" said Danny exasperated.

"What are you an adult?" countered Dash. "Look we'll play best 4 out of 5, whoever loses buys the winner lunch."

"No, that's stupid," said Danny in disapproval.

Dash didn't believe him, seeing the half-smile on the brunet's face.

Dash gave him a teasing look as he said, "Yeah, you're right. It's not like you would have been able to beat me anyway, simple game or not."

Dash smirked at the annoyed look on Danny's face. He felt like chuckling as he saw the brunet quickly tear a blank page from his notebook. Danny slammed the paper down on the desk harder than necessary and gave him a challenging look. Dash twirled his pencil effortlessly and started the game.

_lllll_

"That'll be $11.19," said the cafeteria lady.

"Well don't just stand there looking stupid Fenton, pay the woman," Dash said with an arrogant smirk.

Danny glared at Dash, but said nothing as he reached into his wallet to pay. He put his wallet away and pocketed his change, seeing Dash waiting for him. Danny ignored the blond as they walked to their usual table.

"Oh don't be such a sore loser," said Dash with a chuckle.

"Whatever," said Danny dismissively. "I guess it's only fair that you have the brain capacity for games that involve X's and O's."

Dash looked at him before balancing his tray on one hand and using the other to smack Danny upside the head. Danny winced and looked at Dash in annoyance. The blond ignored him and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"It's all about strategy," Dash said matter-of-factly. "You don't have to be a genius; you just have to think faster than your opponent."

Dash turned to look at their table in confusion as he saw that only Sam and Kwan were sitting there. The two boys made their way over and promptly sat down. The duo greeted them and Dash asked where everyone else was.

"Sandra and Paulina are in a meeting with the dance committee," answered Sam. A sudden dark look came to her face as she said, "We don't know where Tucker is."

Danny looked at Sam and frowned slightly. _'He's probably with Carmen.'_

Kwan wiped his mouth and looked at Danny as he said, "And Derek's outside with your sister."

Danny gave them a surprised look before he frowned slightly.

"What are they doing?"

"Relax Danny," admonished Sam. "She's just helping him with his homework."

Danny said nothing and began to eat. Their lunch was rather quiet in comparison to most days, but the four saw it as a chance to eat and think in peace.

_lllll_

The rest of Danny's day passed uneventfully except for a nasty tackle he received towards the end of practice. The tall linebacker apologized profusely at the hit, but Danny had waved away the other's worry. Coach Higgins however, was not convinced and he'd forced Danny to sit out the rest of practice to have the manager look over his injury. The manager had frowned at the large bruise on his shoulder and advised him on how to treat it when he got home.

Now as Danny stood under the spray of hot water, he felt the pain on his shoulder all too acutely. He thought of nothing as he quickly washed his hair, but heard the occasional patter of feet as his fellow teammates walked in or out of the showers.

He scrubbed the soapy wash cloth over his skin harshly, finally realizing how dirty he was from practice. He winced slightly as he washed his back and it took him longer than usual to finish. As he turned forward and let the water wash away the soap, he felt something brush against his shoulder.

Danny quickly turned around in surprise and slipped slightly, causing his back to crash against the tiled wall. He flinched as the pain from his shoulder flared up two fold and looked up to glare at the person in front of him. His gaze softened slightly when he realized it was Dash. The blond looked at him in surprise, not expecting Danny to react so oddly.

Dash dropped his hand and said, "Sorry, I just wanted to see if the bruise was close to your shoulder bones or your muscles. Looks like it's dead center on a back muscle, which is a good thing in my opinion. It hurts a lot worse when it's on a bone and after time, hard tackles near that spot can cause you to get fragment breaks in the bone."

Danny listened to Dash in mild surprise, not expecting the blond's concern or the fact that Dash would be so knowledgeable. _'No, he's a natural athlete. Of course he's going to know about this sort of thing.'_

He smiled at Dash and said, "Thanks, but I think I'll be ok. I'll just do what the manager said and ice it down when I get home."

Dash nodded absentmindedly as he looked at Danny and the brunet began to feel uncomfortable under the dark blue gaze. Someone called Dash's name and the blond looked away to see who it was. As the blond talked with another boy near them, Danny finally noticed that the blond had a towel wrapped around his waist.

He looked at Dash's torso and not for the first time did he feel a bit of admiration at the level of hard work Dash had put into honing his strength. Dash turned back to look at him and was surprised to see the other boy staring at him. Danny nervously smiled at Dash and felt his face heat up at his own state of nudity. He quickly turned around and finished his shower.

"Are you almost done?" Dash asked him.

Danny nodded and turned off the spray of water. He cleared excess water from his face and hair and sighed as he stared at the tiled wall in front of him. He felt something land on his head and pulled it away to see it was a towel. He looked back to thank Dash, but saw the blond had turned his back to him. He wrapped the towel around himself and grabbed his shower caddy. He walked past Dash and soon heard the muted footsteps of the other boy follow him.

The two were among the handful of other boys still changing in the locker room. Neither boy said anything as they dried off and quickly changed into their clothes. Danny pulled his shirt over his head and saw that Dash was about to do the same. Danny's eyes landed on Dash's back and he saw various faded scars and light bruises.

Dash noticed his staring and gave him a curious look as he asked, "What?"

Danny hurriedly looked away, "Nothing."

Dash felt odd knowing Danny had been staring at him, but quickly shook the feeling away as he said, "Practice was pretty harsh today, huh?"

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "It's too bad that Derek couldn't practice the wishbone today with Jack. He wasn't in sync with Michael at all."

Danny sat on the locker bench as he tied his shoes and did not see Dash's eyes narrow slightly at the mention of Jack's name. Dash put on his letterman jacket and started to stuff his things into his sports bag.

"Sanchez better learn to not rely on Minamoto so much," Dash commented.

Danny looked at him curiously and asked, "What do you mean?"

Dash looked at the brunet from the corner of his eye as he said, "I know they're good together, but Minamoto isn't always going to be able to play the same field with him. Sanchez has to learn to be more adaptable."

"I guess you're right," Danny said, as he scratched the back of his head. The brunet also began to gather his things into his sports bag.

Dash looked at Danny before turning back to straighten out his locker. In a casual voice he asked, "You and Minamoto are friends right?"

Danny dropped his jersey on the floor and quickly bent down to grab it. He looked at Dash as he stood up and crashed his head on the bottom of his locker door. He yelped slightly and placed a hand on his head. He looked back at Dash to see the other boy look at him with concern.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I-I'm fine. I'm just a klutz at usual."

Dash humored the other boy with a small nod and repeated his question. He saw Danny turn away from him and busy himself with fixing his locker.

"Yeah we are."

"Do you guys talk a lot?"

"No, not really. We sometimes hang out on the weekends, but usually Derek and Tucker are with us." Danny looked at his locker and as an afterthought said, "We have a couple things in common though."

Dash's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the wistful smile on Danny's face. His mind replayed the image of Jack and Danny kissing and he felt a surge of anger well up inside of him. Dash knew that Danny and Jack weren't just friends and he hated the fact that Danny was lying to his face, but at the same time he realized that it wasn't that simple either.

He wasn't sure what it was that Jack and Danny shared, but the kiss had spoken volumes to Dash. After his mind freaked out about the fact that he was seeing two boys kissing, it tried to cope with the fact that it had been two of his friends.

At the time he hadn't felt anything other than complete shock. Even when he was back home and in his room thinking back to what he'd seen, he was amazed that he hadn't felt disgust and fear at seeing the two kiss. As he mulled over what it meant, he tried to think of all the times he'd seen Jack and Danny together. Maybe it was because he hadn't been looking hard enough, but he'd never blatantly seen the older boy act like he admired Danny beyond friendship.

His mind had recalled however, the time when he'd crashed into a desperate Danny in the locker room. Danny hadn't looked at him and had run out the locker room door before he could find out what was wrong. Dash remembered very clearly how Jack had been half naked as he sat on a bench brooding. He knew they weren't together then or even now and he supposed it was the constant uncertainty around them that had made him spy on Jack first. He knew next to nothing about the older boy and was spurned on by the idea that he had to make sure Jack wasn't just playing a cruel joke on Danny.

Dash looked at the brunet and smiled as he said, "Well, if you guys don't already have any plans, why don't we all hang out? We haven't done that in awhile and we could go bowling or something."

Danny smiled at the offer, but remembered something else, "Wait, aren't you going on a date with Sandra?" _'As much as I'd like to hang out with him, it's more important that he goes out with her.'_

Dash frowned slightly as he said, "Only on Friday. She said she's busy the rest of this weekend."

The blond looked around to make sure no one was close enough to listen to them and finally turned back to look at Danny.

"Man Fenton, I'm not so sure anymore that she's going to bid on me at the auction next week. I think she likes me, but I don't think she likes me like _that_."

Danny's eyes widened in disbelief and he quickly grabbed the lapel of Dash's jacket as he said, "Don't think like that. She's just being shy because she thinks you're a great guy."

"Did she tell you that?" asked Dash, with hope in his voice.

Danny felt nervous at the question, but he couldn't have Dash give up now that the challenge was ending in less than 19 days.

He quickly racked his brain for what to say and finally blurted out, "Sort of, but come on, who wouldn't want a guy like you? You're popular and the quarterback of the football team."

"Oh."

Danny saw the odd expression on Dash's face and mentally smacked himself for giving such shallow reasons.

He smiled encouragingly as he said, "But…that's not all though, that's just what you are on the surface. I mean when you're not acting like an arrogant jerk, you're really cool. You have an interesting sense of humor and you're really nice and fun to be around. I know people don't give you much credit, but you've already proven that when you set your mind to something, you can do really impressive things aside from sports."

Dash felt his face heat up at the other's words and felt oddly pleased at hearing what Danny thought of him. Dash looked down at the intense look in Danny's blue eyes and looked away to hide his blush. '_Maybe that's why Jack likes the dork.'_

Danny realized how tightly he'd been holding on to Dash's jacket and promptly let go. He took a step back and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. The brunet turned around and looked back at his things. He felt Dash place a hand on his good shoulder and he turned his head to look at the blond. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Dash give him a real smile.

"Thanks Fenton."

He looked at Dash's face and slowly blushed under the other's attention. As Danny looked at the sincere smile on Dash's face he felt nervous and for the first time since their friendship began, Danny noticed how handsome Dash really was.

_lllll_

(Friday night)

Danny placed a comforting hand on Tucker's shoulder, but his best friend rolled his eyes at the sight of the ear plugs stuffed in Danny's ears. Tucker turned around to look at Derek and saw the older boy give him a reassuring smile. His gaze shifted to look at Carmen and her best friend Lydia, who were giggling slightly, but nodding that they were ready as well. Derek counted off the beats and soon the beginning strums of his guitar were heard. The two violins joined in after a moment and the melody of a slow song echoed across the walls around them.

Tucker turned expectant eyes up at the far left window on the second floor. He mentally counted the beats of the song in his head and tried hard to control his nervousness. He took a deep breath as he realized his part was coming up and he hoped that all his Spanish voice lessons with Carmen had paid off.

"El sol ya no es tan brilloso,

y la claridad del cielo no existe,

por que dondequiera que yo miro,

recuerdo el dolor que te cause."

Tucker's face flushed as he realized how badly he was butchering the song. It'd taken him an entire week to learn the words and figure out how to sing somewhat passably thanks to Carmen, but even now he saw that he was hopeless. Nevertheless he plowed through the next verse, glad that this one had Derek singing with him.

"Disculpa mi loquera, amor.

Simplemente soy nada sin ti.

Se que este amor es extraño,

pero eres la mujer para mi."

Tucker's face brightened as he saw a light being turned on in Sam's window. As the stringed instruments continued to play the song's chorus, the boy grew nervous at the thought of seeing Sam. He smiled brightly as he saw the window carefully open up. He puffed out his chest, ready to serenade louder for Sam, but was literally deflated as he saw who it was.

The three musicians momentarily slowed down their playing as they too took notice of who was at the window. They stifled their laughter and continued playing with a renewed vigor. Danny fell to his knees and held his sides as he laughed. Tucker blushed heavily as he saw Sam's grandmother cackle and gesture with her thumb to the right.

Tucker turned mortified eyes at the last window on the right and caught sight of a surprised Sam peering down at him. After a moment her father stood next to her and held an angry expression on his face as he looked at the group of students. Tucker face palmed and was glad that the music had stopped altogether.

Mr. Manson moved Sam away from the window and called down to the alleyway, "Tucker, it's late. You can talk to Sam on Monday at school, since she'll be grounded the whole weekend."

Tucker heard the distant sound of Sam's protest and wondered if the Goth girl would sooner kill him than talk to him now.

End of Chapter 21

Author's End Notes: I read that Paulina's last name was Sanchez and winced. I'm not sure if that's true or not. If it's not, please tell me right away. If it is then no, there's no relation between her and Derek. If you don't remember the references in Dash's memories about Danny and Jack, then please reread chapter 16. Here are the translated lyrics to the Spanish song in case anyone in interested. Now as always, please review!

"The sun is no longer as bright,

and the clarity of the sky doesn't exist,

because everywhere I look,

I remember the pain I caused you.

Forgive my madness, my love.

I'm simply nothing without you.

I know my love is strange,

but you are the woman for me."

(It really sounds better in spanish. .;;)

_Spidey's Shout Outs:_

_(because I'm back from vacation and my voice has rested)_

**YaoiFan26**: Hey there! Tada! I updated! I updated! I updated:) I hope you liked the chapter. Thanks again for the nice review!

**KimuraSato**: Hey girl! Ah, where would I be without your lovely constructive criticism:) Yup, because Danny stinks at math and as a fan girl you gotta work the obvious angles. :-D I'm glad you liked the dream, since it was a little cliché. I think the next chapter will spell it out better than the one before this one. I didn't make things terribly obvious for a reason. Anyway, thanks so much for the review! Good luck with your story, I look forward to your next chapter!

**hittocerebattosai**: Hey! I hoped you loved this one too, even if it might have been a bit weird. Thanks for the review!

**Reptilian Goddess**: Hey again! Yeah it is surprising, but at the same time when you're set in your thinking you either can't or don't want to see things sometimes. Opening ones eyes and putting the pieces together is not as easy even when you have obvious clues. :) Lol, yeah the Jack/Danny and Dash/Danny is a split isn't? And don't worry; next chapter will very clearly spell out who's the cloaked figure if you remember Flora's words in the previous chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Thanks for the nice review!

**AuraBlackWolf**: Hola! Yeah, sorry for keeping ya waiting, with school, work and general life stuff, writing and posting was being put to the side slightly. I've never actually considered having Dash try to make the connection between Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom so strongly since it's more like something that I'd see Danny tell Dash himself. Good idea to consider though, thanks. Don't worry about Jack, his tale is sad, but will not end so tragically. :) Anyway thanks very much for the lovely review.

**Akiko**: Hey! Lol, I'm glad that you liked it. It was an odd chapter…but then again I suppose this chapter was also odd. Yup, Dash is wonderfully clueless about a lot of things in this fic. Thanks for the review!

**i like traffic lights**: Hey there! Actually I was almost going to make it full on cliché and have Danny kiss Dash, but I didn't think it's time. Hehehe, kissing will be later. Anyway, thanks for the cool review! I hope you liked this update.

**Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac**: Hello again! Lol, I think it's good that you have a life because it makes the reasons for existing more interesting and heck of a lot more fun. Huzzah! I'm glad that you're still jamming to my fic and I hope you liked this chappie and thanks so much for the nice review!


	22. The Possessive Pachanga

Disclaimer: If I ever own Danny Phantom, pray for your souls because pigs with wings will be flying. Coincidently there will also be a pork barbecue party at my house. In the meantime, it still belongs to Butch Hartman. :)

**Author's Notes**: Let the fun begin with this chapter and may so many things be revealed to you guys including who the cloaked figure is as well as what Dash really thinks about Jack and Danny's relationship. If nothing else I hope this chapter shows the duality of the characters and how they can be contractions sometimes. The sparks will fly heavily in this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I had fun writing it. Now as always please take a load off and enjoy! (Don't forget to review!)

_lllll_ blah _lllll_ scene change

_llllllllll _blah _llllllllll _dream or memory

'_blah'_ thoughts

"blah" speaking

Chapter 22: The Possessive Pachanga

"Yes! In your face Derek," yelled Star loudly.

The Hispanic boy sat arms crossed and sulked as the blond girl did a victory dance in front of him. While most of the others were average bowlers at best, Star and Derek prided themselves on being top notch and bragged as such. The monitor above them flashed the current scores and showed that Star had pulled into the lead and had ten points more than Derek. He felt his competitive streak get the best of him as he stood up next to the girl. Star stopped her earlier movements and looked at him in expectantly.

"I will beat you blondie!" said Derek firmly.

"I'd like to see you try, fat head!"

As Jack stood up to bowl next, he lightly smacked Derek's shoulder and whispered, "Don't act like a moron."

Derek's eyes narrowed as he whispered back, "You should talk."

Jack's face flushed slightly at his best friend's retort, but he continued moving down to the starting end of the bowling lane. He breathed out for a second and concentrated on the angle of the pins. He considered the weight of his ball and then pulled it back. He moved forward and launched the ball quickly. He winced slightly as he saw it hit the pins of someone else's lane.

"Knock it off already, you jerk!" shouted a boy who held that lane.

Derek smirked as he jokingly yelled back, "Be glad he's giving you strikes!"

"I wasn't talking to you, jockstrap!" the stranger yelled back.

Derek's eyes narrowed as he took a menacing step forward and loudly said, "Hey geek, come and say that to my face!"

Jack suddenly came into his line of vision and gave him a disapproving look. Derek looked back at him before rolling his eyes and turning away. Danny watched in surprise as Jack calmly walked closer to the stranger. The stranger looked apprehensive for a moment, but didn't move away.

Dash's eyes narrowed as he saw Jack talk to the stranger in a low voice. The stranger seemed surprised at whatever Jack was saying and nervously shook hands with him. Jack nodded at the other boy and returned back to their lane with a smile. The stranger looked scared as he sat down on a nearby seat.

'_I know that look. He must have said something to freak the other guy out,'_ thought Dash with astonishment.

"Jack, what'd you do to him?" Paulina asked in concern.

Jack gave them a reassuring smile as he said, "Nothing, he was just surprised that I apologized to him."

"He should be surprised that I didn't smack him around," muttered Derek.

Danny looked at Jack with a smile as he said, "Wow that was really mature of you to apologize like that."

"Yeah Jack, you're a bigger guy than me," Dash said off-handedly. "So polite and honest even to people who you wrong."

Jack's smile faltered slightly as he looked at Dash, but soon it was replaced with a smirk as he sat down next to Danny. Dash, who sat on the brunet's other side, gave him a small glare that Jack easily ignored. He turned back to see Kwan get up to bowl next, Paulina and Star cheering him on.

Jack turned back to Danny and said, "I'm sorry to hear that Tucker and Sam couldn't make it. Is their relationship still on the rocks?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "Yeah, he kind of got Sam grounded this weekend because of his serenading."

"Ouch," said Jack with a chuckle. "Still at least he's showing how much he cares about her. I think it takes a lot of guts to do something you're not good at in front of the person you like."

"Kind of like your bowling," muttered Dash.

Jack's eyes widened at the blond's words and he quickly turned to look at the other boy. Dash stood up however, as it was his turn to bowl. He walked over and confidently picked up his bowling ball. As he stood at the starting end, he concentrated for a moment before gracefully launching the bowling ball. The sound of his strike reverberated amongst the commotion around them.

Kwan patted Dash's back in congratulations, while Star and Paulina smiled at him in approval. Derek gave Dash an impressed look and shot a smirk in Jack's direction. Jack caught his friend's expression and watched Danny high-five Dash as the blond sat back down. Jack's eyes narrowed slightly and when Dash turned to them, he placed an arm around Danny.

He brought his mouth close to Danny's ear and whispered, "My turn is coming up soon and I don't want to mess up anymore. Can you please help me?"

Danny blushed slightly at their proximity and nodded hesitatingly. He slowly stood up with Jack and went off to the side to help the taller boy learn how to hold and release the ball. Danny tried to ignore the warmth he felt when his fingers brushed against Jack's.

Dash's eyes narrowed as he saw them and he felt annoyed as he caught the smile on Danny's face. Jack looked up in time to catch his irritated stare and gave Dash a smug smirk in return.

_lllll_

Jack's eyes narrowed as he walked out of the bathroom stall. Jet black eyes met dark blue and between both there was an unspoken challenge.

Dash smirked slightly at seeing how his presence had affected Jack. From where Dash was leaning against a wall, he watched as the other boy methodically washed his hands. As Jack toweled off his hands, Dash finally moved and walked towards him.

Jack expected any number of nasty things to come out of the flippant boy's mouth and was thus thrown off slightly when he saw an honest smile appear on Dash's face.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me in math. There's no way I would have done as well without it," said Dash sincerely.

Jack blinked in surprise and awkwardly replied, "Oh your welcome. If you need help again, you can always come and ask me."

Dash's smile widened slightly as he said, "Glad to hear that because it means I can trust you to help me even if…"

"Even if…?" Jack repeated expectantly.

"Even if I'm not Fenton," said Dash, his smile unreadable.

Jack raised an eyebrow at him curiously, "Why would that matter to begin with?"

"Well, I just always got the feeling that you didn't really _want_ to help me and that you were only doing it because Fenton asked you. You and I knew each other long before either of us became his friend, but it's only now that I'm talking to you."

The more he looked at the sincere smile on Dash's face the more Jack wondered if he'd been imagining the earlier antagonism that the other boy was showing towards him. He watched as Dash shoved his hands into his pockets and walked towards the exit. Believing that the blond had nothing else to say, he walked towards the nearest wastebasket and threw away the paper towel in his hands.

"Oh wait," Dash said while turning around. "There was something I needed help understanding."

Jack looked up to see Dash standing by the closed door, "What's that?"

"What exactly is going on between you and Rolland?"

Jack's eyes widened slightly at the blond's question. He quickly recovered from his shock and placed an innocent smile on his face.

"Griffith? Nothing is going on between us, Dash. I don't even know him that well," said Jack.

"Really?" said Dash, still smiling. "So then you're _not_ the drummer for Rolland's band then?"

Dash's eyes narrowed, his gaze clearly challenging Jack to lie to him again. Jack glared right back, all earlier pretenses falling to the wayside as he took a step toward Dash.

"No, I am," replied Jack, his tone eerily calm, "but why is that any of your business?"

Dash smirked as he said, "When I have an enemy and my friend starts being cozy with that enemy, it makes a guy wonder ya know? Can he really trust that friend as much?"

Jack smirked as he said, "Then what makes you think we're friends anymore?"

Dash's expression didn't waver as he replied, "What makes you think you're the friend I'm talking about?"

Jack's mind quickly tried to process Dash's words, but he didn't understand what the blond was saying. There was one thing he knew however and it did not sit well with him to realize that Dash would have the brains or tenacity to do so. His gaze became one of anger as he took another step closer to Dash.

"You've been spying on me."

"I call it selectively watching someone," Dash said with a smirk.

"You don't know anything," said Jack angrily.

"Oh I know a lot more than you think, but the only reason I'm not telling the whole school is because I don't want to hurt Fenton. I mean imagine how he would feel if he knew half the things that you were really up to."

Jack's mouth opened slightly in surprise, but before he could say something they heard a small creak from the door. The two looked behind them to see the door open fully and Derek standing in the doorway. The Hispanic boy raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two, but eventually he shook his head and stepped in fully.

"Sorry for interrupting, but I really gotta go," said Derek hurriedly, as he walked towards one of the urinals.

Dash rolled his eyes slightly and turned back to look at Jack. He almost frowned at seeing the other's calm smile.

Dash smiled in response and casually said, "Well it was nice hanging out with you guys, let's do it again real soon," said Dash with a smile.

"Count on it," replied Jack, his own calm smile in place.

With that said, Dash walked out of the bathroom and down the long hallway. As he rounded the corner he came face to face with Danny.

The shorter boy threw him an annoyed look as he asked, "Dash, what took you so long?"

"I had a large lunch," said Dash with a chuckle.

Danny rolled his eyes at his friend's crude response, but smiled slightly as he walked with Dash towards the bowling alley's exit. As they walked outside, Danny smiled as he saw Paulina, Star and Kwan wave at them to hurry up. Kwan's cousin Jade honked the horn of her car and Dash and Danny rushed over towards them.

Jack and Derek watched the two leave from their vantage point. Derek looked at Jack from the corner of his eye and then looked forward as he saw the car leave.

"You're my best friend and I'll stand beside you, but in doing so, will I be standing beside Griffith too?" asked Derek solemnly.

Jack paused a moment before nodding, "Yes."

"Then that puts me one step closer to seeing my mother again," Derek said with a half-smile. "Although to be honest, I didn't want to see her yet."

"Don't be so dramatic, Derek. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Jack said firmly. "Besides I already told you, we're not going to see her until we're old men."

"And I've already told you that she's not going to recognize us," Derek said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

_lllll_

Griffith smirked in amusement as he watched Sandra sleep. He sat on her desk, making sure he was invisible, lest the girl wake up and see him. Occasionally Sandra rolled back and forth slightly. The Goth boy grinned evilly as he saw the peaceful smile on the brunette's face.

'_Keep smiling Sandra, even as everyday brings you closer to dying, keep smiling so that I have a reason to kill you.'_

_llllllllll_

Sandra heard the slow melody of the old love song in the background. The folds of her poodle skirt swished about slightly as she slow danced with Dash. The loose hold on her waist felt comfortable and Sandra didn't feel as nervous as she thought she'd be.

The tips of her fingers touched the edge of his jacket's collar. The black leather jacket contrasted nicely with the white shirt Dash wore underneath. He had even gone as far as to gel his hair differently to fit his apparel. It was obvious that Dash had tried hard to look the part of a motorcycle rebel and all in all she thought it suited him in a way that contrasted with his usual clothes.

One of Dash's hands lifted up to her chin and as she looked into Dash's blue eyes, she felt her face heat up. She looked away slightly, but Dash coaxed her into looking back at him. After some hesitation, she chanced looking up at him again.

Dash gave her a charming smile as he said, "Sandra, you're all I think about lately. You're so wonderful and sweet, that a guy just can't help falling for a girl like you."

Sandra blushed and stuttered out, "Y-you like me?"

Dash shook his head and brought his face closer, "No, I love you."

Sandra closed her eyes as she felt Dash's lips meet hers in a slow, but passionate kiss.

_llllllllll_

_lllll_

Dash moaned in his sleep and buried his face closer to his pillow. The sudden shrill of his alarm clock startled him awake however and caused him to promptly fall backwards off his bed. Dash laid there disoriented for a second, until he lifted himself up and slammed his hand harshly on the alarm clock.

Dash glared at the annoying electronic, that sat innocently on his night stand. He managed to haul himself back on his bed and as he looked up at his ceiling, he tried to get his bearings. He placed a hand to his mouth as he remembered his dream. His kiss with Sandra had felt so real.

He sighed in disappointment, but eventually sat up. As he moved his legs to the side of his bed, the slight tent in his boxers caught his attention. He blushed at the sight and quickly stood up to prevent touching himself. He hastily made his way over to his dresser and opened the middle drawer to grab a pair of loose sweat pants.

Dash hastily pulled them on and walked out of his room. He practically ran for the bathroom and was relieved to find that it was unoccupied. He slammed the door shut and promptly locked it. He wasted no time in divesting himself of his clothes and stepping into the spray of cold water.

He shuddered slightly as it hit his warm skin, but he tried to relax and calm himself. It took him longer than usual, but sure enough after a few minutes of thinking of the nastiest things he'd ever seen, he was calm again in all areas. He quickly showered and made his way back inside the safety of his room.

He changed into his usual jogging clothes and went about cleaning the most important parts of his room. As he finished making his bed, he was glad that his dream hadn't caused any stains on his sheets. That, in his opinion, was the most embarrassing part of puberty and the hardest to hide from his parents.

Dash made his way downstairs to eat a light breakfast, not saying much to either of his parents as he ate. After thanking his mother and giving them a goodbye, he smiled in anticipation as he made his way to the front door. He wondered if Danny would keep his promise to meet up at his house or if he'd oversleep because it was the weekend. Dash opened the door and his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

"Good morning Dash," Jack said with a polite smile.

Dash looked at him in surprise and then shifted his gaze to Danny for an explanation.

"Hey Dash," greeted Danny cheerfully. "Jack said he wanted to join us on our jog today. Is that okay?"

Dash felt annoyance as he looked at the auburn-haired boy, but didn't let it show on his face. He smiled politely and merely nodded, not trusting his voice to keep the sarcasm out.

He shut his door behind him and walked with the two until they made their way to the sidewalk. All three silently stretched for a few minutes and tried to get ready to jog. Dash finally chanced a glance at Jack and was annoyed to see the other boy already looking at him. Jack smirked and Dash saw the challenge dancing in his eyes. A small smirk came to his own face and hid the waves of anger he felt towards Jack.

Dash led the way for a quarter mile until Jack began to run side by side with him. The two matched pace for half an hour, not realizing how they kept speeding up. As Dash ran he glanced at Jack and glared at the older boy. Jack returned the gesture and ran faster to try to pass the blond. Dash noticed this and picked up his pace to match Jack's.

The two growled at each other in anger as they ran at their top speeds down the empty streets of Amity Park. Both were so caught up in their impromptu race that they failed to notice that they'd left Danny behind. The brunet looked on in shock and confusion as he saw the two race each other and he struggled to catch up to them.

They suddenly turned another corner and Danny ran faster as he saw them disappear. He groaned in annoyance as he turned the corner and realized they were gone. He ran down the empty street quickly and looked for them. Finally getting fed up, he ran into the nearest alleyway and transformed. He floated up and flew out to search for the two.

_lllll _

As Dash and Jack ran through the narrow alleyway, they kept bumping into each other. Jack elbowed Dash none to gently in the ribs. The blow caused Dash to stumble slightly and fall behind. The blond glared at Jack's back and ran faster until he was close to the other boy. Jack turned his head in time to see Dash charge forward and tackle him.

The two fell to the ground with a noisy thud and both tried to disentangle themselves while hitting the other. Jack used his legs as leverage to push Dash off him and send the other boy flying into a group of trashcans.

Dash opened his eyes in a daze and looked up in time to see Jack charge at him. Dash caught sight of two trash can lids and quickly flung them at Jack. Jack dodged the first one, but got hit with the second one square in the head. He fell on the ground and glared at Dash from where he lay. The two quickly picked themselves up and stood warily in front of each other. Jack saw an opening and quickly pushed Dash against the nearest brick wall.

Dash blocked the other's grip on him and managed to turn the tables on Jack. He glared at Jack in fury as he yelled, "What's your problem?"

"My _problem_ is you thinking that you can control me," Jack yelled back. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Jack roughly shoved off the hands grabbing him and punched Dash hard in the stomach. Dash moved away from him and stumbled slightly as he stood in front of Jack. Jack held his arms up, ready to punch the other boy again.

"Why exactly are you coming in between me and Danny?"

"I already told you why," replied Dash angrily. "You can't pretend with me, Jack."

Jack and Dash circled each other, waiting for the other one to strike. Jack's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw another opening and he moved to punch Dash. Dash saw the blow and he quickly blocked Jack's hand. Jack countered by sweeping the other boy's feet and causing Dash to fall. Dash growled and leapt forward quickly to tackle Jack, catching the other boy off guard. Jack shoved the other boy off him and again the two picked themselves up and were at a standoff.

Jack looked at Dash in angry confusion as he yelled, "You're not making any sense, Dash. Don't you understand that I…care about him as a friend and I'm not going to do anything to hurt him?"

"You did the moment you kissed him!" yelled Dash, as he punched Jack square in the jaw.

Jack stumbled backwards and crashed against a pile of cardboard boxes. He opened his eyes and looked at Dash in surprise. He wasn't sure if the blond was panting from anger or exhaustion, but the cold glare he received was clear enough in meaning. Jack looked away as he picked himself up off the mess around him. The two stood in a tension-filled silence that pervaded the empty alleyway and was only broken by Dash's solemn words.

"I accidentally walked in on you guys that night we played against Hoserton."

"Oh," said Jack lamely. _'Well that explains some of his hostility.'_

Dash frowned as he said, "Afterwards I watched you two because I wanted to understand, but you guys were being so weird around each other that I didn't know what to think. Then one morning while I was jogging alone, I saw you walk out of Rolland's house. Imagine my surprise at realizing that the one guy Fenton hates is the same guy you're with on the side."

'_On the side?'_ thought Jack in confusion. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what Dash was thinking. _'He thinks I'm cheating on Danny with Griffith.'_

"Dash, you've got it all wrong, I'm-"

"Shut up!" yelled Dash angrily. "I don't want to hear your stupid excuses. Let's get one thing clear Minamoto, I could care less what you feel for Fenton. I'm not just going to idly stand by and watch as you hurt him, so either ditch Rolland or ditch Fenton because Fenton doesn't deserve this kind of crap. He's a great guy and even if he's g-…different, he still deserves someone who'll love and respect him."

Jack's mouth hung open slightly at hearing Dash's words. He looked at the flushed face in front of him and his eyes widened in surprise as an unbidden thought came to him. He swallowed before slowly saying, "You like Danny."

"Of course I do, he's one of my best friends," said Dash matter-of-factly.

Jack felt the corners of his mouth rise slightly as he said, "No, that's not what I meant."

Dash gave him a look of confusion that was replaced with a wary gaze as he saw Jack walk closer. Jack continued to brush away some of the leftover dirt and grime from his clothes.

The auburn haired boy looked at Dash critically as he said, "Not that it's any of your business Dash, but for the record, the only reason I'm in Griffith's band is because he's blackmailing me."

"He's blackmailing you?" said Dash skeptically.

"Yes, he heard about my skills and blackmailed me into being in his band. He said that if I didn't join and play with them at the dance, then he'd tell the whole school that I'm bisexual."

Dash's stance loosened slightly and he looked at Jack with a mixture of anger and surprise. As Dash processed Jack's words, a sudden thought occurred to him and he voiced it aloud.

"Fenton doesn't know you're protecting him."

Jack's eyes widened at the other boy's words and he felt a bit surprised at how perceptive Dash really was. He shifted uncomfortably as he saw the blond boy's critical gaze upon him. He could see the wheels turning in the other's head and quickly thought about how to keep Dash from further interfering.

"And I don't want him to know," Jack said solemnly. "It's taken us so long to get to this point that I don't want anything to get in the way and if that means that I have to do this then so be it. I would rather Danny get mad at me for betraying him than him getting ostracized by everyone at school."

"You're so full of yourself!" yelled Dash suddenly. "You think you're protecting him by hiding the truth? You think you can say you love him while you're spending your time being Rolland's lackey instead of being with Fenton?"

"I get why you feel the need to hide, but what I don't understand is how a supposedly smart guy like you can stand there and tell me this bull. Be a real man Jack, because Fenton doesn't need some shrimp that runs away from his problems, he needs a guy who'll let him stand on equal footing and face problems with him head on!"

Jack glared at Dash and grabbed the scruff of the blond's shirt, "What, a stupid tough guy like you? Huh! You think I should handle all by problems with my fists?"

"How could you possibly understand what we're going through?" yelled Jack. "Months ago you were the very type of guy who would have bullied Danny if you'd found out he was bisexual so get off your high horse you stupid, self-righteous reject!"

"Screw you, Minamoto!" yelled Dash, as he twisted out of Jack's grip and pushed the other boy into a nearby brick wall.

Dash grabbed Jack ready to punch the other boy again, but stopped when he heard his name being called. He turned his head to see Danny standing near the edge of the alleyway, glaring at him in annoyance. The two looked at the raven-haired boy in surprise as Danny ran hurriedly toward them.

"Dash, what are you doing to Jack? Let him go!" yelled Danny in alarm.

"He started it!" Dash said accusingly.

"No, he did!" yelled Jack.

Danny angrily yelled, "I don't care who started it, just knock it off!"

Danny looked at Dash and the blond looked at him in frustration, before shoving Jack away. Jack's legs gave way and he fell to the ground with a wince. Danny quickly rushed to his side and tried to help the older boy up. He looked up at Dash, appalled at the other boy's awful behavior. Dash merely looked away and walked down the alleyway in anger. Danny's eyes followed after him a mixture of irritation and confusion within them.

_lllll_

Jack leaned against the door to his house and said, "Thank you for helping me Danny-kun."

"Um, no problem," Danny replied awkwardly, "but you still haven't told me what happened. Why were you two fighting?"

Jack smiled at him, but said nothing. Danny felt irritated at the other's lack of response and turned around. Jack quickly grabbed Danny's arm and pulled him closer. Danny jumped slightly at the contact and took a half step back. Jack was glad that he had such a high fence around his house as he grabbed Danny's waist and pulled the boy into a hug.

Danny's first reaction was to try to push him away, but he stiffened as he felt Jack kiss his ear.

"How would you feel if I told you we were fighting about you?"

Danny's eyes widened before he roughly slipped out of Jack's embrace. Jack looked at him in surprise, not expecting Danny to react so violently.

"Is that true?" Danny asked in a serious tone.

Jack knew Danny enough to know that he couldn't further rile the boy up by ignoring his questions. He considered how to answer for a moment and realized that being honest was the best choice.

"Yes," he answered calmly.

Danny's gaze grew demanding as he asked, "What about me?"

Jack smiled as he said, "Let's just say that he doesn't like me being friends with you."

The younger boy looked at him in confusion as he said, "Wait, that doesn't make any sense-"

His eyes widened as Jack's lips landed on his. Jack's mouth moved against his slowly and as Jack's hands skimmed the length of his back, he was caught in the familiar warm sensations. Unbeknownst to the two boys, Danny's ghost watch glowed once before returning to normal. Jack broke the kiss little by little and was pleased to see the flushed look on Danny's face.

Jack caressed Danny's cheek with his thumb as he said, "Neither does this, but it's just as true."

Danny gasped slightly as Jack kissed his cheek and moved down to his neck. Danny's hands fisted into Jack's shirt and the younger boy wasn't sure if he wanted to push Jack away for pull him closer. He shivered slightly as he felt the sensation of warm hands all over his body and he felt his earlier resolve breaking.

"J-Jack, people might see us," Danny said breathlessly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want you to be mine," answered Jack in a husky tone.

As Jack kissed him again, Danny's ghost watch glowed once more and Danny was suddenly assaulted by the image of Jazz's concerned face. In his surprise Danny broke the kiss and took a step backwards.

Jack stared down at Danny in surprise and leaned in again to kiss him, but Danny's hand stopped him. Jack looked at Danny in surprise as he saw Danny's flushed expression become one of frustration. Danny grabbed Jack's wrists and slowly removed Jack's hands from his face. Jack saw Danny's hands shake slightly as Danny let go of him. He saw Danny take a several steps away from him altogether and was confused by other's behavior.

Danny held a hand to his head in confusion as he thought, _'Why did I suddenly think of Jazz?'_ He heard Jack move behind him and he quickly turned around.

Jack stopped walking and looked carefully at Danny's body language. Before he could say anything however, Danny stared straight into Jack's eyes and finally spoke.

"This might be true, but I can't deal with it like this."

Jack's eyes widened, but he said nothing as he saw the strange expression on the other boy's face. He felt worried as he saw the odd gaze in Danny's eyes and he tried to take a step closer, but Danny held up his hand to stop him again.

"Don't come any closer," said Danny desperately.

Jack smiled as he said, "The last time you said that to me, you still let me."

"Yeah, well this time I mean it Jack," Danny said seriously. "I…just can't do this right now. You asked me to think about how I feel about you, but I can't do that if you don't give me some space. It's not that hate this, it's just that I want to think it through before I do anything else. This isn't easy and it doesn't help that you're being so…distracting."

Jack felt his face heat up at the unintentional compliment. He nodded in understanding and said, "I'm sorry for not realizing how my behavior was affecting you. When I'm around you, I guess I get so carried away that I can't help it. I want to be near you more than anything else, but to give you peace of mind…I'll respect your wishes."

Jack walked away from Danny and tried to keep the sadness out of his voice as he said, "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Danny."

Jack half-heartedly waved goodbye to Danny before walking back to his front door. Danny watched him for a moment before turning around and walking down the paved walkway and out the metal door. He felt a strange wave of relief as he closed the door behind him.

Jack stepped through his front door and was not surprised to see Flora sitting politely on his couch. Although her mouth remained an emotionless line, her eyes were dancing with amusement. Jack closed his door and walked over to where she sat, standing in front of her in apprehensively. Flora looked at him before raising her hands up and clapping sarcastically.

"You're a very good actor," she said monotonously. "Perhaps you are the one who should become an agent of G.R.I.M."

"What do you want?" said Jack in annoyance. "Can't you tell I'm busy?"

Flora calmly stood up as she said, "Yes, I can see that and for your information, it's not his body that's rejecting you it's his mind."

Jack reached into his shirt and pulled out a long necklace, "Then fix it."

The necklace's black chain contrasted with the big silver heart locket attached to it. He slipped it off and tossed it to Flora. The necklace landed in her lap and as Flora picked it up, her fingers unconsciously traced over the G.R.I.M. insignia that was engraved on it. She opened it using the small lever on the side and looked at the display before her.

The inside revealed the digitized outline of a heart. Flora noticed how it looked two thirds of the way full and she inwardly smirked at this as she closed the locket. She tossed it back to Jack who caught it with one hand.

"As I thought, the locket is in perfect working order. It is still inducing him with pheromone levels proportional to your feelings for him. However, we already told you that it can only go so far and in the end it is you that needs to seduce his mind. Face it human, the halfa is not in love with you yet."

Flora gave him a commanding look as she said, "I didn't come here to do maintenance checks on your love life, human."

"Then why are you here?" asked Jack frankly.

Flora crossed her legs and leaned back against his sofa as she coldly said, "Griffith wanted me to inform you of the next phase of his plan and to tell you to be prepared to not interfere."

_lllll_

Tucker wasn't sure if the flush on Sam's face was out of hidden appreciation or visible annoyance. Either way he took a step backwards and crashed into the locker wall behind him as he saw the Goth girl march towards him. Derek saw the look on Sam's face and sent his friend a mental apology as he backed away from the scene about to unfold.

Sam held out her arms and asked, "What the heck is this?"

Tucker looked at the teddy bear, chocolates and flowers in her hands and sheepishly said, "Tokens of affection." _'I knew this was a bad idea, why did I listen to Danny?'_

"Why would you give me things like this? _You know_ I don't like generic gifts like these," said Sam, still agitated.

"Hey, the concert tickets for the Night Terrors weren't generic," Tucker said defensively. _'Or cheap,'_ he thought glumly.

"What tickets for the Night Terrors?" Sam asked in surprise.

Tucker pointed to the small envelope in her left hand and Sam looked at it, not realizing she'd been holding it to begin with. When she'd opened her locker and seen everything fall out, she'd furiously picked it up and hadn't noticed the envelope. She shifted her hold on everything and opened the envelope to reveal a piece of paper and two concert tickets.

"How did you get these? They've been sold out for months," Sam said astonished.

Tucker took her reaction as a good sign and slowly smiled as he said, "Hey you're not the only one with connections." _'Thank you, Paulina.'_

Tucker shifted slightly away from her as he said, "Listen Sam, I know I messed everything up, but I want to make things right. When you broke up with me, you thought we could be friends again, but that's not how I feel about you. Just please do me a favor and read that."

With that said, he quickly walked away from Sam.

"Tucker, wait!" yelled Sam, but he ignored her and walked away faster.

She sighed and looked down at all the things she held in her arms. She heard whispers behind her and saw two cheerleaders giggling as they looked at her. Sam considered turning her gifts into weapons, but she merely glared at them and walked down the hallway. She ignored the looks of surprise as she passed and nearly tripped over her own feet when Paulina and Sandra came up behind her. Sam raised an eyebrow at the twin grins on her friends' faces.

Sandra smiled in awe as she said, "Wow Sam, are these all from Tucker?"

Paulina half-squealed out of happiness as she jovially said, "Who else could they be from? No offense Sam."

"None taken."

The two girls noticed the melancholy response from the Goth girl, but continued in their giddy attitude towards the gifts. After a while Sam confessed that she'd rather go to her locker and stuff the gifts there than walk around with them.

"We'll see you at lunch?" asked Sandra.

Sam looked at the envelope in her hand and shook her head. Paulina noticed the envelope and gave Sam an understanding smile.

"Alright, we'll tell the guys that you're studying. Just remember one thing Sam," she said with a half-smile.

"What?" Sam asked, a bit apprehensive.

"That we're your friends now," Paulina said with a grin, before it was replaced with a devious smirk. "So don't run away from us or we'll hunt you down to get the details."

Sandra held a more genuine smile on her face as she said, "Yeah, you don't have to keep so many things in if you don't want to."

Sam gave them a small smile as she said, "I'll keep that in mind."

_lllll_

Sam raised her knees up to her chest and placed her elbows on top. Her forehead rested on her arms and from the small bit of light seeping through, she was able to see some of the words in Tucker's letter that she'd placed in her lap.

The sound of a sharp thud startled her and she looked up to see Flora carrying a small stack of books and loading them onto a book cart. Sam looked down to see a green hardback book beside her. Sam stared at the cover for a moment before grabbing it and standing up.

"Hey, you forgot this," said Sam.

Flora turned her head to look at her and Sam was surprised to see the girl shake her head. Sam's outstretched hand lowered slightly and Flora turned back, but did not walk away.

"Read it. Perhaps…it will give you a better idea…of things."

Sam gasped slightly at hearing the other girl's voice. Sam couldn't remember ever hearing the girl speak so many words since she came to Casper High. However Jack, Derek and even Danny claimed that they'd heard her voice once. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked up to see that Flora was gone.

Flora floated above Sam and turned invisible. _'Human love, I forgot how difficult it is to understand and how harder it is to attain. I suppose the halfa will learn this lesson well.'_

End of Chapter 22

**Author's End Notes**: Huzzah! Another chapter was done and I was able to put it in roughly within a week's time. I can't guarantee the next one will be so lucky, but it won't take horribly long either. Getting on to business however, first and foremost I hope that now it was clear as water just who the cloaked figure is. However don't get mad at Jack yet because what is also clear is that things aren't as easy or simple as they first appear.

Flora certainly plays a bigger part in this chapter and while it seems so strange that she has changed so much in such a short amount of time, the reality is that she is only revealing more of herself than before. Sandra is ever comforted by her dreams and even more blissfully unaware than Dash about the danger that Griffith is setting up for her. Last but not least there is the Sam/Tucker and Jack/Danny/Dash dynamic, however I cannot say anything lest I slip and reveal something. Now then, this being said, please review and let me know what you guys think! (P.S. Sorry for the long chapter, but there was a lot that needed to be said and done.)

_Spidey's Shout Outs:_

_(because in this summer heat spiders get louder)_

**Akiko**: Hello again! Lol, I wouldn't call Dash he's pretty for fear of getting punched by him, but yes finally Danny is noticing how attractive Dash is. Now it's Dash's turn to realize the same, don't you think? Hehehehe. Well anyway, thanks so much for your sweet review!

**Isabella Rossellini**: Hey again! It's cool dude, no need to apologize because even if I only hear from ya occasionally, the times that I do are always nice. (Besides work is more important because you can get :cha-ching: money! Lol) Yes, yes I know :hides behind the proverbial couch: I still haven't gotten them together, but as you can see the catalyst that will bring them closer to each other is just beginning. (To be honest it's good that you drive this point home because it's a reminder to move things forward.) Please forgive and take this chapter as a gift. Thanks so much for your review!

**animegurl088**: Hello again! Yes, look I updated just as requested and as soon as I'm done with this fic, I will write 2 other ones, one of which will be a DashDanny one. I hope you read them in the future and continue reading this fic in the present. Thanks so much for your encouraging message and cool review!

**KimuraSato**: Hello again! The Jazz/Danny sibling dynamic is going to become more prevalent in future chapters simply because life will never be easy for Danny and will always need his big sis, lol. The shower scene was actually a last minute idea because it was the answer to an unasked question about just how much have Danny and Dash seen of each other as two guys who change in the locker room. I think chapter explained not so much the extent of Dash's feelings, but why he's acting so strangely because of them. I do wonder however how the DashDanny fangirls will take this chapter. Ah, Tucker, I'm going to be torturing that poor boy for a little more. Anyway, thanks so much for nice review!

**Feramore**: Hello there! The titles are a little out there, but yes I do try to make them fit the theme as well as the chapter's mood. It's good news to hear that you're a new fan of this pairing and I hope this fic does justice to it for you. Thanks so your lovely review!

**doostar**: Hola! Yeah the last chapter wasn't very Jack centric, but I suppose this one had enough Jack to make up for that. Oh if you liked that Dash thought about Danny then get ready for the future chapters. Thank you for your cool review:)

**Reptilian Goddess**: Hey there! If you loved the Danny/Dash in the past chapter I wonder how you felt about the Jack/Dash antagonism. I hope this chapter didn't keep you too much on your toes however and finally revealed just who the cloaked figure is, however even if that mystery solved, I suppose now though that the next thing to figure out is what Griffith is planning for poor Danny next, lol. I wrote a less embarrassing Tucker chapter this time around simply because he's been tortured enough…well maybe not. :scheming grin: Anyway, thanks so much for your awesome review!

**imawalrus**: Hurray for a new reviewer and hello there! I'm so delighted to hear that you're into this pairing and pleasantly surprised that my fic actually helped. I too see the great appeal of Danny/Sam and have read some wonderful fics in this pairing, so I can understand why you like it so much. My reason certainly is a bit different than most people's, but even I couldn't help but write a tutoring chapter, lol. To me you just sound straightforward and it's a good thing that you can tell it like you think it is. :) (Wow, an English major? Awesome! I'm a biology one myself!) Lol, most people are also caught in the Jack/Danny or Dash/Danny and so I wonder if this chapter will accidentally turn the tides. Oh, please don't apologize for such a thing, I just like when I get a review, not what size they are. However I feel like apologizing to you for unintentionally keeping you up that long. I'm happy that you liked this fic so much and even more so that you'll be a reviewer. Thanks so much for your kind review!

**Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac**: Hello again! Lol, don't get that mad at Danny, after all Jack makes um…rather interesting propositions. Yes, I too noticed the trend in VladDanny fics and the severe decline of DashDanny ones. I really like both pairings so I have no qualms on the matter and actually feel a sense of relief that if I ever want to write a VladDanny fic I won't get booed off the stage for it being a "weird pairing". However I thank you for your kind words and your continued interest in my fic which only until _now_ is beginning to show signs of DashDanny. :grins sheepishly: What I love best of your reviews is that you continue dancing and jamming along. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint and that you continue digging on this fic. Thanks so much for your wonderful review!

**hittocerebattosai**: Hey! I'm glad that you think so. To be honest you're reviews are very, very, very interesting too and make me crack a smile. :smiles: Thanks for the short, sweet and to the point review:)


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